RICHMOND, Va. – America continues to face rising tensions in a post-Roe v. Wade world.
Senator Tim Kaine announced the Reproductive Freedom For All Act, which would restore the states to a reality almost identical to when Roe was in effect.
“We kind of envision the bill as a little bit of a time machine to take us back to where we were before the Supreme Court, in the Dobbs decision, threw out 50 years of jurisprudence about reproductive freedom but also 100 years about what the 14th amendment meant,” Senator Kaine said.
The bill would codify women’s right to reproductive freedom and contraception in federal law.
“We need to do it so that people’s basic rights of autonomy and making decisions about pregnancy don’t completely depend on what zip code they live in,” he said.
Reproductive legislation is currently up to the states.
Todd Gathje is the Director of Government Relations for the Family Foundation and said they will fight legislation protecting abortion.
“We’re gonna do everything we can, and we will to do whatever we can to save as many babies as we can from abortion,” Gathje said. “With the ultimate goal of changing hearts and minds on this issue so that one day we can make this an unthinkable solution to an unplanned pregnancy.”
Gathje said from his experience, Virginians do not want this type of legislation.
“It’s really important we understand that at least here in Virginia, Virginians do want some sort of restrictions,” Gathje said. “Virginians are not for unrestricted abortions at any stage.”
This is a bipartisan bill, but Senator Kaine said he is working to gain more support.
“We don’t yet have the votes to get this passed, but I frankly think that the more America experiences life post-Dobbs, the more the American public will come realize that a national standard is the right answer,” Kaine said.
