With growing abortion restrictions, Democrats push for over-the-counter birth control

Abortion rights demonstrators attend a rally at the Texas state Capitol in Austin on May 14, 2022. (Eric Gay/AP)

Eric Gay / Eric Gay

If there was ever a time for Republicans to back efforts to expand birth control access, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington thinks this should be it.

“Women in many states today, because of the decision by the Supreme Court, are really worried about their access to be able to have birth control pills as a way of making sure they don’t become pregnant, because in their states, they won’t have access to abortion care,” Murray, a Democrat, said in an interview with NPR.

“I disagree wholeheartedly with the Supreme Court decision,” she said, referring to last summer’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling that overturned decades of abortion-rights precedent. “But at the same time, we need to make sure that over-the-counter birth control is available.”