SALISBURY — The Salisbury Democratic Town Committee will hold a caucus Feb. 28 at the Hilton Senior Center, 43 Lafayette Road, to elect delegates to attend as voting members of the Democratic State Convention.
The snow date is March 7. Caucus registration takes place between 9:30 and 10 a.m. The caucus begins at 10 a.m. All are welcome to observe the proceedings.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — Massachusetts’ two U.S. senators have joined other Democrats and a handful of Republicans in passing a war powers resolution to limit President Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela, as the U.S. House of Representatives prepares to vote on a similar measure.
The Senate voted 52-47 Thursday to approve a resolution that prohibits further U.S. military action in Venezuela, unless Congress authorizes it. The move comes after Trump ordered the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were brought to New York to face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — Congressman Seth Moulton is calling for a tax on the nation’s top earners as he tries to win over progressive voters in his bid to topple Sen. Ed Markey in next year’s Democratic primary.
Moulton, a Salem Democrat, said he supports a national wealth tax on multimillionaires and closing tax loopholes exploited by corporations and the ultrawealthy.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — The wide-open race to fill the North Shore’s soon-to-be-vacated congressional seat continues to draw interest from Democrats who say the party needs to push back harder against the Trump administration’s divisive policies.
Diann Slavit Baylis, a Marblehead immigration attorney who served as a Massachusetts delegate to the 2024 Democratic National Convention, said Tuesday she is “considering” a run for the 6th Congressional District in next year’s midterm elections.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — Democratic Sen. Ed Markey holds a “significant” lead over his primary rivals, according to a new poll, which suggests challengers will face a difficult fight to unseat the three-term incumbent.
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst/WCVB TV poll, released Sunday, showed Markey with a 20-point lead over Congressman Seth Moulton and former teacher Alex Rikleen in a Democratic primary match-up. The poll of 800 likely voters found 51% supported Markey, compared to 28% for Moulton and 6% for Rikleen. About 13% said they were undecided.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — Democratic Attorney General Andrea Campbell is running for reelection, touting her efforts to protect civil rights and consumer protections and filing litigation pushing back against the Trump administration’s divisive policies.
Campbell, the state’s first Black attorney general, announced Tuesday that she plans to seek another four-year term as the state’s top law enforcement official in the 2026 elections.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — Incumbent Democratic Sen. Ed Markey survived a primary challenge five years ago from a member of Massachusetts’ most storied political families, but observers say he faces an even more formidable threat from Rep. Seth Moulton as he seeks a third-term.
Moulton, a five-term congressman, announced on Wednesday that he is challenging Markey for the U.S. Senate seat in next year’s Democratic primary.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
A new statewide poll of likely Massachusetts voters shows Congressman Seth Moulton could claim an early advantage over U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in a hypothetical 2026 U.S. Senate Democratic primary, while a solid majority of voters voiced support for cutting the state income tax rate to 4%.
The poll, conducted Sept. 24–25 by Advantage, Inc. for the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, surveyed 750 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
The headline did not mince words. “Donald Trump is a loser,” read the title of the opinion piece, which ran in the New Hampshire Union Leader one day before the 2024 New Hampshire presidential primary.
The man who wrote it, former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, is no stranger to opposing Trump.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — A Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group is renewing its criticism of U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan for reneging on a previous pledge to support term limits for congressional lawmakers.
The group U.S. Term Limits has paid for a billboard ad along Interstate 93 in Methuen, criticizing the Westford Democrat for backing away from a proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution limiting House members to three terms, or six years, and senators to two terms, or 12 years.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
BOSTON — A Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group is renewing its criticism of U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan for reneging on a previous pledge to support term limits for congressional lawmakers.
The group U.S. Term Limits has paid for a billboard ad along Interstate 93 in Methuen, criticizing the Westford Democrat for backing away from a proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution limiting House members to three terms, or six years, and senators to two terms, or 12 years.
This page requires Javascript.
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
DERRY — Residents of the 1st New Hampshire Congressional District will be taking to the polls next month to determine who will represent them for the next two years in Congress.
On Nov. 5, the voters from Danville, Derry, East Kingston, Hampstead, Kingston, Londonderry, Newton, and Plaistow will have to choose between incumbent Democrat Chris Pappas and the challenger, Republican Russell Prescott, to represent them in Washington, D.C.
Pappas was first elected to Congress in 2019. Before that, he had served on the New Hampshire Executive Council for six years.
Pappas is a small business owner, one of the co-owners of the Puritan Backroom restaurant in Manchester that has been open for more than 100 years.
Prescott has served as a state senator for five terms, beginning in 2000, then re-elected in 2010, 2012, and 2014. He also served as an executive councilor, serving from 2016 through 2021.
He left the council after he purchased R.E. Prescott Company, a wholesale distributor and manufacturer of water treatment systems, of which he had been the co-owner and vice president for several decades.
Many of the issues Pappas is campaigning on are devoted to inclusivity, like making college more affordable, making health care more accessible, and keeping LGBTQ+ and minority Americans safe from discrimination.
He also emphasizes investing in transportation and infrastructure, combatting the opioid epidemic, creating more opportunities for small businesses, and increasing the availability of mental and physical healthcare for veterans.
For Prescott, important issues revolve around aspects of safety, like tightening up border security, ensuring Israel has the resources it needs to defend itself, fighting to keep Second Amendment rights for Americans, and using voter identification laws to safeguard elections.
Lowering inflation and taxes, defending social security and Medicare, promoting state’s rights on issues like abortion and education, supporting term limits for senators and congress members, getting better benefits for first responders and veterans, promoting domestic energy policies, and standing up to China are other topics that are featured in the Prescott campaign.
BOSTON — Massachusetts voters are flocking to the early polls, and sending and dropping off mail ballots at local election offices ahead of the presidential election Nov. 5.
Hundreds of thousands have already voted through the mail and during the two-week early voting period that got underway Saturday, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office, which said it sent more than 1.3 million ballots to registered voters who requested them.
As of Wednesday, at least 818,904 ballots had been cast, or roughly 16.2% of the state’s 4.9 million registered voters, Galvin’s office said. That included 154,684 in-person early voting ballots.
Locally, many communities have already seen thousands of votes cast with 13 days until the election. As of Wednesday, voters in Beverly cast nearly 1,100 ballots while North Andover voters had cast 770 ballots, according to a tally provided by Galvin’s office.
Salem voters had cast 756 mail ballots by Friday while Gloucester voters had turned in 428 ballots, according to the data. Newburyport voters had cast 716 votes as of Wednesday, Galvin’s office said.
Topping the statewide ballot is the historic race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the ballot with their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Recent polls show Harris with a wide lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts, but the race is tight nationally – especially in battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where the candidates and their running mates have been campaigning to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters.
Besides picking a new president and deciding a handful of contested legislative and local races, voters will consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms, and boost the wages of tipped workers.
More than half of the state’s voters are registered as independent – not affiliated with a major party – with their ranks swelling in the months leading up to the election. Those who aren’t registered can do so until Oct. 26, Galvin’s office said.
Galvin is urging voters to check that they are still registered and if not, make sure that they do so before the deadline Saturday to register ahead of the election. Under Massachusetts law, there is a 10-day cutoff to register before a statewide election.
“If you want to vote for president, any other office on the ballot, or these ballot questions, you need to be registered to vote,” Galvin said in a statement. “Even if you are already a voter, if you’ve moved since the last time you voted, I urge you to check that your address is up to date before it’s too late.”
Voters can see a full list of candidates, register to vote, and look up early voting locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
There were dueling standouts related to the Nov. 5 presidential election this weekend in Gloucester.
They were spurred by a visit to America’s oldest seaport by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, for a fundraising luncheon.
Republican supporters stood out at the Grant Circle rotary on Friday night and late Saturday morning to meet the motorcade bringing Vance to the luncheon at an address revealed only to attendees.
Supporters of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stood out on the 300-block of Gloucester’s Concord Street on Saturday to meet the motorcade as it went by. They brought signs, a green blowup coach, and one man dressed as a hot dog while a woman wore breast pumps.
Among those protesting Vance’s appearance was Rockport resident, Gloucester native and performance artist Vermin Supreme, who came in fifth on the Democratic ticket in New Hampshire’s presidential primary in January
The fundraising luncheon was hosted by Mike and Renee Minogue, according to the invitation. Co-hosts were Republican National Committee Committeewoman Janet Fogarty and Bob and Laura Reynolds, according to an invitation posted on the website for the group SRQ4Trump.
The cost to host the event was a “give/raise” of $100,000 per couple, according to the invitation. The roundtable was a $25,000 give/raise per person. A photo opportunity was a $15,000 give/raise per photo, and attendees were asked to give $5,000 per couple.
SRQ is the three-letter code that stands for Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on the west coast of Florida.
Ted meets Ed. It was debate season and on this day in 1962, the newspaper covered the campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Massachusetts voters could watch an hourlong TV debate between Attorney Gen. Edward J. McCormack Jr.…
METHUEN — The City Council will likely vote on the purchase of the historic Searles Estate for the second time next month.
The council voted against the purchase of the property for $3.25 million last week, which would typically mean the end of the proposed resolution. But after recent legal advice from City Solicitor Kenneth Rossetti, Chair Joel Faretra said he will bring the matter back for another vote at the council’s next meeting in September.
City officials aim to preserve the historic site by acquiring the property from the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. Those opposed have cited fiscal responsibility and said the city does not have a comprehensive plan for the aging estate.
The Searles Estate encompasses 25 acres, with 19 available for purchase by the city. The estate is valued at $10 million. The acquisition would also include $1 million in artifacts.
The vote Aug. 5, which left the community sharply divided, included two councilor absences and an abstention, leading to a potential conflict of interest.
Only six of nine councilors voted. Faretra, Nicholas DiZoglio, Ronald Marsan and Allison Mary Saffie voted in favor while Neily Soto and Patricia Valley were opposed.
Faretra said he was informed that the majority party can bring an item back for a vote, rather than just the prevailing side.
Soto said preserving the estate is important but that it should be done through a public-private partnership which places less of a burden on taxpayers.
Twelve potential buyers have looked at the estate over the years. One developer presented a plan that would demolish the estate and build apartments, according to the city.
Sisters of the Presentation of Mary purchased the estate in 1957 to house Presentation of Mary Academy, which closed in 2020. Since then, the religious order has endeavored to find a buyer.
The order was founded in France in 1796 and came to the United States in 1853, according to its website.
The estate would likely need about $250,000 in annual maintenance, according to Chief Administrative & Financial Officer Maggie Duprey.
The Methuen Historical Society has called the estate an “irreplaceable treasure” and urged the council and the community to support the purchase.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 3 but that date will likely be adjusted due to the state primary elections, Faretra said.
BOSTON — Massachusetts Democrats are praising Vice President Kamala Harris for choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the upcoming presidential election.
Harris made the announcement on Tuesday morning, ending weeks of speculation about her pick for a second-in-command to challenge former Republican President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, as Democrats seek to hold onto the White House after incumbent President Joe Biden bowed out of the race.
“Tim is a battle-tested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done for Minnesota families. I know that he will bring that same principled leadership to our campaign, and to the office of the vice president,” Harris said in a statement.
Walz, 60, is a military veteran, former public school teacher and six-term congressman. He was first elected as Minnesota’s governor in 2018 after defeating an incumbent candidate, a rare feat in the conservative-leaning, largely rural state.
Gov. Maura Healey, a first-term Democrat and former surrogate for President Joe Biden, called Walz a “person of deep integrity and empathy” and lauded him as a “champion for the working families of his state (who) brings a common-sense approach to getting things done for the people he serves.”
“Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will build a country where people have the ability to not just get by, but get ahead. They will grow our economy, reduce the costs of housing and prescription drugs, and create jobs in every part of this country,” Healey said in a statement.
“They are the team we can trust to protect Social Security, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. And they will make sure every woman has access to the health care she needs,” she added.
Rep. Lori Trahan called Walz an “excellent choice” and lauded his work on veterans affairs, education, gun safety and expanding benefits for workers.
“He passed free school meals to make sure children don’t go hungry, gun safety laws to protect kids at school and in their communities, and paid leave for workers,” Trahan, a Westford Democrat, said in a statement. “We have a strong, proven ticket in Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who are ready to take our message for a better future directly to the American people.”
Rep. Seth Moulton called him a “committed veteran, leader, and friend” and said the Harris-Walz ticket will “fight to unite America and make our country better.”
“A tireless advocate for our troops, he knows how to stand up for those who have been left behind – or simply not appreciated for all they do for America,” the Salem Democrat said. “This election is a choice between community and chaos, between expanding freedoms for Americans or restricting them, between standing with our friends and allies or shirking responsibility and trust.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Walz is a “terrific pick” for Harris’ second-in-command and also praised his accomplishments as a governor.
“As a former teacher, veteran, and one of the most effective governors in America, Walz has a strong track record of putting government on the side of working families,” Warren, a Cambridge Democrat, posted on X. “I’m all in for Harris-Walz!”
Sen. Ed Markey called Walz a “working class champion” and said he has the experience to help Kamala Harris lead our nation and deliver on the promises of a livable future for our people and planet.”
“We now have the ticket that will bring us to victory on Election Day,” the Malden Democrat posted on social media.
At least one Newburyport Democrat is also hailing the pick as a win for the ticket.
“I think Tim Walz was a great choice. He has fantastic experience that is very different from hers. He is a smart, honorable and highly qualified VP candidate,” Karen Trowbridge, Newburyport Democratic City Committee chair, said.
Trowbridge went on to say she believes the Democratic Party will unite behind Walz just as they united behind Harris.
“Democrats should feel proud and optimistic today,” she said.
The Trump campaign blasted Walz, as a “dangerously liberal extremist,” while warning that their vision for the country is “every American’s nightmare.”
“By picking Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris not only bent the knee to the radical left, she doubled down on her dangerously liberal, weak, and failed agenda,” Brian Hughes, the Trump campaign senior adviser, said in a statement.
“Walz would be a rubber stamp for Kamala to wage war on American energy, continue aiding and abetting an invasion on our border, and embolden our adversaries as the world is brought to the brink of World War III.”
Daily News editor Dave Rogers contributed to this report.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey wants state lawmakers to return to Beacon Hill to take up a multibillion-dollar economic development bill that failed to pass before the end of formal sessions last week.
Lawmakers recessed early Thursday after concluding the formal session and pushing through bills dealing with housing, veterans and parental rights, but left dozens of major proposals on the table as they headed out the door to focus on their reelection campaigns.
Healey said the economic development bond money and legislation are “extremely important” to supporting the state’s business industry and boosting its competitiveness. She urged lawmakers to “return as soon as possible” to take up the plan before the Dec. 31 end of the two-year session.
”This is absolutely essential for economic growth and development, to support critical economic sectors, and to protect our economy and businesses in the face of increasing competition from other states,” Healey, a first-term Democrat, said in a statement. “The people of Massachusetts deserve it and are counting on us.”
The bill, a key plank of Healey’s legislative agenda, would set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in bonding and tax credits to boost the state’s competitiveness. It also would reauthorize the state’s life sciences initiative for another decade and make a parallel investment in climate technology.
Responding to the governor’s demands, Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, issued a statement saying the Senate “is ready to return to work and pass this critical economic development bond authorization—and we are prepared to call a special formal session to get it done.”
Last week, House Speaker Ron Mariano, a Quincy Democrat, said he hopes to revisit a stalled prescription drug bill after those measures failed to make it across the finish line last week.
Other major pieces of legislation that failed to pass before the end of formal sessions included bills dealing with plans to improve hospital oversight and blunt the impact of climate change.
Massachusetts was also the last state to adopt a budget, sending the $58 billion spending plan to Healey nearly a month after the July 1 beginning of the fiscal year.
The bottleneck of major bills has led to finger-pointing and criticism of the Legislature’s Democratic leadership, whom Republicans and pundits say waited until the July 31 end of formal sessions to rush through major pieces of legislation.
Lawmakers can still vote on bills during informal sessions after July 31, but they lack sufficient numbers to challenge any vetoes or amendments. What’s more, debate on legislation taken up during informal sessions can be blocked by objections from any lawmaker.
But proposals that involve spending or borrowing money require roll call votes, where lawmakers register their individual votes. Those votes can only be held in a formal session.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com
Massachusetts and New Hampshire officials are condemning political violence and calling for calm after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.
Trump was rushed off the stage Saturday after a bullet grazed his ear in what authorities described as an apparent assassination attempt. One spectator was killed and two others critically injured in the incident, authorities said.
Federal authorities named Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the suspect. He was shot and killed by authorities. A motive is not yet known.
But the attack stoked fears about increasing violence in the nation’s toxic political system ahead of an already divisive presidential election, with Trump locked in a neck-and-neck race for the White House against incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey condemned the attack, praised law enforcement for its “swift response,” and said she was “relieved” the former president is safe.
“Political violence has no place in this country, and all Americans must condemn it,” the Democrat said in a statement.
Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, issued a joint statement, saying they “grieve for the families affected by Saturday’s tragedy and condemn those who would seek to use violence to further their political goals.”
“While we may disagree on many things, we are deeply committed to this country’s ideals of settling those disagreements through public participation, debate, and respect for our colleagues regardless of their affiliation,” they said.
Members of Massachusetts’s all-Democratic congressional delegation also denounced the violence and appealed for calm.
“It doesn’t matter how much we might disagree in politics, violence is never acceptable,” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, said in a statement. “This is a polarized time, but we’re stronger when we’re united, not divided.”
New Hampshire’s political leaders also voiced their outrage and appealed for calm in the November elections.
“Political violence of any kind is never acceptable,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said in a statement. “I’m appreciative of the quick efforts of law enforcement and hope the former President and anyone else injured today recovers fully.”
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu echoed those sentiments on social media, saying in a statement that “violence of any form has no place in America” and wishing Trump a “speedy recovery” from his injuries.
The assassination attempt on Trump was the first instance of a president or presidential candidate being targeted with violence since President Ronald Reagan survived a shooting in 1981.
Biden used a rare White House address Sunday to condemn violence and pleaded with Americans to cool the political rhetoric ahead of the November elections, citing the attempt on Trump and other recent incidents involving elected officials.
“A former president was shot. An American citizen was killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing. We cannot, we must not go down this road in America,” the Democrat said. “We’ve traveled it before throughout history. Violence has never been the answer.”
Trump arrived Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is expected to accept his party’s formal nomination in a speech later this week.
Delegates from the state’s Republican Party, who are expected to attend the four-day convention, issued a statement wishing Trump a speedy recovery, condemning the violence and calling on Americans “to unify as a nation to condemn this horrible incident.”
“Like every American, we are outraged, horrified and deeply concerned,” MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale and other party officials said. “Whether Democrat or Republican, despite our differences, we all desire peace and prosperity for our nation.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey is leading a group of Democratic chief executives in urging Congress to approve a bill that would protect access to contraception.
The Right to Contraception Act, which is co-sponsored by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., would guarantee the legal right for individuals to get and use contraception and for health care providers to provide contraception, information, referrals and services related to contraception.
Democrats are leaning into efforts to protect access to birth control as part of their election year push on reproductive rights, warning that Republicans in Congress and former President Donald Trump will seek to set new nationwide restrictions on contraception, if Trump is elected in November.
On Monday, Healey joined Democratic Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in calling on lawmakers to approve the plan, and blasting Republicans for opposing the proposed changes.
“This legislation would safeguard the fundamental right to contraception,” Healey said in remarks during a live streamed briefing on Monday, sponsored by groups pushing for the bill’s passage.
“It’s so important, especially at this time where reproductive rights as we’ve seen are under assault across this country,” she said.
Healey cited comments by Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, suggesting that he is in favor of national restrictions on contraception.
“I think all we have to do is look at his track record as president to know what he will do if he’s elected again,” Healey said.
Trump said in a recent TV interview that he would leave contraception policy to the states but supports efforts to limit access. He later quickly backtracked on social media, saying he has “never and never will advocate imposing restrictions on birth control or other contraceptives.”
But Democrats see the issue of birth control and abortion access as a wedge that could help incumbent President Joe Biden win his reelection bid in November and possibly help them take over control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced over the weekend that the Democratic-controlled chamber will be taking up the bill during Wednesday’s session.
“There’s no question in the American people’s minds that Republicans have brought our country to this point,” Schumer said in a statement.
“And as Donald Trump reminded us recently, he is ‘proudly the person responsible’ for the annihilation of Roe v. Wade and the grotesque reversal of women’s personal freedoms,” said Schumer.
Republicans and even many anti-abortion groups say they are neutral on birth control and argue there’s no access problem. GOP lawmakers have accused Democrats of using the issue for political gain.
The proposal set to be taken up by the Senate would prohibit the federal government and any state from administering or enforcing any law, rule or regulation to prohibit or restrict the sale or use of contraception.
It would also allow the U.S. Department of Justice, health care providers and individuals harmed by restrictions on contraception to go to court to enforce those rights.
While the measure could pass with Democrats holding a slim majority in the Senate, it faces an uncertain path in the GOP controlled House of Representatives.
Polls have consistently shown that there is broad bipartisan support for birth control. A 2023 Gallup poll looking at the values and beliefs of Americans found that 88% of them believed birth control was morally acceptable.
