Senate Democrats block abortion vote

Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked an attempt to take up a vote that would strip a controversial abortion provision from a stalled anti-trafficking bill — despite the fact that they themselves want the provision removed.

Democrats likely do not have enough support to carry the day on the abortion point, hence their resistance to a vote. They would prefer Republicans simply stripped the language from the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters earlier in the day that he would try to get consent to offer an up-or-down vote on stripping the Hyde Amendment, which blocks federal funds from being spent on abortion, from the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. 

{mosads}The legislation provides additional resources for law enforcement and trafficking victims, but Democrats are blocking progress on the bill because of the abortion-related language. 

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that McConnell’s offer is “not a viable path forward” because it doesn’t address Democrats’ concerns about the abortion language staying in the bill. 

“Republicans should work with us to remove the unrelated abortion language that has no businesses being in this bill,” Reid said. “It’s so simple, just take it out.” 

Senators predicted earlier this week that the bill would get broad bipartisan support, but that quickly fell apart, with an all-out political fight breaking out Wednesday when Reid threatened to block the bill. 

McConnell said that despite the Democratic objection, senators will continue working on the bill until it passes. 

“We’re going to pass this bill, I assure you,” he said. “We’re going to stay on this bill until we pass it.” 

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) also criticized Democrats, asserting that “We gave the Democrats exactly what they were asking for, and they still refused to help sex trafficking victims. It truly baffles and saddens me.”