[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 96 (Wednesday, June 5, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S3965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Right to Contraception Act

  Mr. THUNE. Well, Mr. President, it is about time for Democrats' 
weekly exercise in election-year politics.
  Later today, we will take up another bill intended to provide a 
talking point for Democrat candidates, and the Democrat leader hopes to 
put Republicans in a tight spot. But if he thinks to see Republicans 
quaking in their boots over being asked to take these votes, he should 
think again, because we welcome the chance to talk about the Democrat 
agenda.
  Take this afternoon's exercise. Under the guise of protecting access 
to contraception--something that is not under threat--the Democrat 
leader is bringing up legislation that would not only funnel money to 
Democrats' allies at Planned Parenthood but would wipe out--wipe out--
conscience protections for healthcare providers. The bill specifically 
targets the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was bipartisan 
legislation passed in 1993--back, I might add, when Democrats actually 
believed in protecting our First Amendment freedoms.
  And this is not the first time Democrats have attempted to carve out 
sweeping exceptions to this once widely supported legislation. 
Apparently, Americans are free to live out their deeply held moral and 
religious beliefs when they don't conflict with Democrats' policy 
positions.
  It is deeply disturbing that the Democrat leader has gone from 
sponsoring--sponsoring--the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to 
attempting to decide when and how Americans can exercise one of their 
fundamental First Amendment rights. If the Democrat leader thinks that 
Republicans are intimidated to cast a vote against legislation that 
would seriously imperil Americans' ability to live according to their 
consciences, well, as I said, he should think again.
  I suspect there are few Americans who don't recognize the Democrat 
leader's politicking for exactly what it is, just as I suspect there 
are few Americans who bought Democrats' border legislation ploy 2 weeks 
ago.
  The Democrat leader apparently thought that he could erase Americans' 
memories of 3-plus years of chaos at the southern border under 
President Biden by bringing up a vote on a border bill that he knew 
would not be able to pass the Senate, but I think he will find that 
Americans' memories are more retentive than that.
  Three years of national security crisis were not wiped out by a show 
vote intended to provide electoral cover for Democrats, just as they 
won't be wiped out by President Biden's latest election-year ploy--an 
Executive order to implement border restrictions the likes of which he 
should have implemented years ago. If anything, any improvements at the 
border stemming from the President's latest measure will only serve to 
highlight the President's failure to address this crisis earlier and 
the needless danger to which he has subjected Americans.
  I mentioned that the Democrat leader knew his border show vote would 
fail, just as he knows his Planned Parenthood subsidy, anti-religious 
freedom legislation will fail this afternoon. That, of course, points 
to the fundamental unseriousness of what the Democrat leader is doing.
  If the Democrat leader had any real interest in legislating on these 
issues, he would be working with Republicans to bring up legislation 
that actually has a chance of receiving the support from both Democrats 
and Republicans.
  Senator Joni Ernst, for example, has legislation to promote access to 
contraception, but that is not the legislation Senator Schumer is 
bringing up because these votes have nothing to do with legislating and 
everything to do with boosting Democrats' electoral chances--he hopes--
in this fall's elections.
  I suspect the exercises in election politics will continue. Look for 
this to be the summer of show votes here in the U.S. Senate.
  As I said, Republicans are ready for it. We are happy to talk about 
the Democrat agenda, whether that is the President's disastrous border 
policies--or lack thereof--or Democrats' never-ending inflation crisis, 
or another attempt by the Democrat leader to force through legislation 
to legalize abortion up until the moment of birth.
  All the show votes in the world won't erase Democrats' record, as 
Democrats may discover, to their cost.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hickenlooper). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.