ICYMI: Senator Murray Slams Republican Attempt to Ban Abortion Nationwide, Defund Basic Health Care in Big Ugly Betrayal Bill
In Murray-led forum for Dobbs anniversary, Senator Murray laid out how this provision—effectively barring ACA marketplace plans from covering abortion—is part of Republicans’ strategy for a Backdoor Nationwide Abortion Ban
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the Senate Parliamentarian’s ruling advising that certain provisions in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act would be subject to a 60-vote threshold if they remain in the bill, including a provision prohibiting federal cost-sharing reduction payments to qualified health plans that cover abortion services (Section 87001), which Senator Murray has repeatedly spoken out against and highlighted as part of Republicans’ efforts to block people everywhere from receiving abortion care:
“As part of their Big Ugly Betrayal Bill, Republicans tried to effectively ban health care plans on the ACA marketplaces from covering abortion altogether, which would have put abortion care out of reach for millions of women in states where abortion is legal. In Washington state, where marketplace plans are required to cover abortion care, this provision would have sent a major shock wave through our health care system and ripped away access to abortion care for countless women, despite our state’s laws protecting abortion rights.
“This effort was part of Republicans’ plan to institute a backdoor nationwide abortion ban by making abortion care inaccessible for everyone, everywhere. Democrats challenged this attack on women’s health care under Senate rules and won—and we will keep fighting every Republican attempt to rip away abortion access every way we can.”
The Parliamentarian continues to review whether Republicans’ can defund Planned Parenthood as part of their One Big Beautiful Bill Act—or whether that provision would be subject to a 60-vote threshold, meaning Republicans wouldn’t have the votes to pass it. Defunding Planned Parenthood would put at least 200 health centers across the country at risk of closure, 90 percent of them in states where abortion is legal—Senator Murray has been the leading voice in the Senate speaking out and raising the alarm against this provision.
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