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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer answers questions from reporters on Capitol Hill ahead of a planned vote Wednesday on the Women’s Health Protection Act.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer answers questions from reporters on Capitol Hill ahead of a planned vote Wednesday on the Women’s Health Protection Act.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on the Women’s Health Protection Act, a Democrat-led bill that would effectively codify a right to an abortion.
It’s an effort largely seen as symbolic, as Democrats do not have enough support from Republicans to reach the 60-vote threshold.
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate would be a vote on the bill after a leaked draft opinion from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito revealed last week that the court is likely to overturn the 50-year-old protections of abortion rights granted under the 1973 Roe v. Wade case.
“I think it’s really important to have this vote to show where everyone stands,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota told NPR on Tuesday.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s comments over the weekend that Republicans might try to move legislatively on a nationwide abortion ban also upped the stakes for Democrats.
The draft opinion from the court would not issue a national ban, but it would allow states to do so.
While it’s unlikely that the bill will pass, Democrats did manage to get support from Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey who said he would vote in favor of the legislation.
Casey is one of few anti-abortion Democrats in office. His father, Bob Casey Sr., was Pennsylvania governor during the 1992 Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, which upheld Roe but paved the way for abortion restrictions.
In a statement, the younger Casey said the circumstances around abortion rights in the country have changed over the last few months. He cited the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court and the possibility that Republicans might try to codify a national ban on abortions.
“During my time in public office, I have never voted for — nor do I support — such a ban,” Casey said.
Source Article from https://www.npr.org/2022/05/11/1097980529/senate-to-vote-on-a-bill-that-codifies-abortion-protections-but-it-will-likely-f
The commission is required to submit its final report to Congress by Oct. 1, and the Pentagon will have until early 2024 to carry out the commission’s suggestions. The commission also is reviewing a much longer list of Defense Department “assets,” including streets and buildings on military bases.
In developing its recommendations, Howard said the committee sought “to inspire today’s Soldiers and the local communities with names or values that have meaning. These names we are recommending embody the best of the United States Army and America.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Tuesday that the set of recommendations “highlights the Commission’s efforts to propose nine new installation names that reflect the courage, values, sacrifices, and diversity of our military men and women.”
“I thank the members of the Commission for their important, collaborative work with base commanders, local community leaders, Soldiers, and military families,” Austin said. “And I look forward to seeing their complete report later this year.”
House Armed Service Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) also praised the commission’s recommendations in a statement. “These new names honor and celebrate the strength and diversity of the service members who serve at each of these nine installations, as well as honoring military families and the values that serve as a cornerstone of our democracy,” he said.
If the commission’s proposal is adopted, the nine Army bases would be renamed as follows:
— Fort Benning in Georgia would be renamed Fort Moore to honor Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and Julia Moore.
— Fort Bragg in North Carolina would be renamed Fort Liberty, in commemoration of “the American value of Liberty,” according to the commission.
— Fort Gordon in Georgia would be renamed Fort Eisenhower, honoring former President and Army Gen. Dwight Eisenhower.
— Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia would be renamed Fort Walker in commemoration of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker.
— Fort Hood in Texas would be renamed Fort Cavazos, to recognize Gen. Richard E. Cavazos.
— Fort Lee in Virginia would be renamed Fort Gregg-Adams, commemorating Lt. Gen. Arthur J. Gregg and Lt. Col. Charity Adams.
— Fort Pickett in Virginia would be renamed Fort Barfoot, which would recognize Tech. Sgt. Van T. Barfoot.
— Fort Polk in Louisiana would be renamed Fort Johnson, in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
— Fort Rucker in Alabama would be renamed Fort Novosel, in commemoration of CW4 Michael J. Novosel Sr.
Source Article from https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/24/commission-recommends-nine-new-names-for-army-bases-that-honor-confederates-00034799