House Passes Birth Control Bill Under Cloud of Abortion Politics

A bill to codify access to contraception passed the House Thursday, as Democrats sought to safeguard the right in response to the Supreme Court.

But the measure (H.R. 8373) is unlikely to become law after anti-abortion groups tied it to both emergency contraceptives and the abortion pill mifepristone. House Republican leadership didn’t outright whip against the measure, giving some Republicans cover to support a right to birth control.

The bill passed 228-195 — with the support of eight Republicans. Two Republicans voted present.

“The conflation of emergency contraceptives and IUDs is the tip of the iceberg on attacks ...