Senate Democrats failed to advance a bill seeking to ensure women’s access to abortion, in a vote designed to draw a clear contrast with Republicans ahead of a potential Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade looming just months before the midterm elections. The vote was 49 in favor to 51 against, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act. Democrats had acknowledged their bill was certain to fail in the 50-50 Senate. No Republicans supported the measure, and centrist Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) had broken with his party and opposed the bill. But Democratic Party leaders see the vote as a crucial political step with the prospect of the end of federal abortion protections now looming and the matter being turned over to states. “I’m scared and I’m frightened for women in this country more than I ever have been before,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) shortly before the vote. If some states ban abortions, voters “live with the painful consequences of that decision and they will not forget Republicans are the ones responsible.” Republicans said that if Roe falls, states should be in charge of making decisions that affect their own residents.

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