Tester, Daines split on abortion bill

Montana’s senators split Wednesday on whether to proceed with a bill that would have expressed support for abortion access.  

Sen. Jon Tester, a three-term Democrat up for reelection this year in one of the Senate’s most contested races, and a cosponsor on the bill, voted in favor of the legislation. Republican Sen. Steve Daines voted against it.  

The procedural vote was 49-44, falling short of the majority needed to overcome a Republican filibuster. 

“Montanans of all stripes believe in the right to privacy, so much so that we enshrined it in our Constitution — and that includes ensuring women can make their own health care decisions,” said Tester in a statement following the vote.

The Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, introduced June 17, looked to establish support for abortion and reproductive health care protections following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which repealed the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973.

“The Dobbs v. Jackson decision was dead wrong two years ago and it’s dead wrong today,” Tester said in a statement. “No judge, bureaucrat, or politician should come between a woman and her doctor." 

Daines’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The act also states that the protections enshrined within Roe v. Wade should be restored and built upon, “moving towards a future where there is reproductive freedom or all,” the bill states.  

It is one of several reproductive rights bills that Senate Democrats are attempting to bring to the Senate floor ahead of the November election. Some of those include the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that looked to codify the health care protections of Roe v. Wade into law, and the Right to IVF Act, which would have protected nationwide access to fertility treatment.  

Senate Republicans continue to block the Democratic legislation. 

"Senator Daines is proudly pro-life and will continue to support moms and their unborn babies. Democrats on the other hand have taken the extreme position of calling for late-term abortions, even up until the moment of birth," said Rachel Dumke, a spokesperson for Daines, in an email.

In a July 9 statement, the White House stated that it strongly supported the passage of the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act. 

“Abortion, contraception and fertility services are under attack as Republicans in Congress refuse to protect nationwide access to this vital reproductive health care. Simply put, Republican elected officials’ extreme agenda is putting women’s health and lives at risk and unleashing chaos and cruelty across America,” the statement says. 

Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, were the only Republicans to vote in favor of the legislation.

Reporter Kate Heston can be reached at kheston@dailyinterlake.com or 758-4459.