Rare snub sparks fiery battle between House members

A Republican congressman, Marc Molinaro, accused a Democratic colleague, Kathy Manning, of refusing to let him cosponsor a bill guaranteeing access to contraception. This act, seen as a rare move in Congress, highlights the intense partisan divide surrounding abortion and reproductive rights. Molinaro claims that Manning's denial is politically motivated, aiming to leave him vulnerable to attack ads during his reelection campaign. Manning, however, insists that she is focused on gathering signatures for a discharge petition, which would force a vote on the bill, and has invited all Republicans to sign it. She argues that Molinaro's lack of support for the petition, despite his initial openness, is the reason behind her refusal to add him as a cosponsor. A source familiar with the situation suggests that Manning's decision is directly linked to Molinaro's failure to sign the discharge petition, as all Democrats added as cosponsors since its launch have also signed the petition. This incident reflects the growing polarization in Congress, where even seemingly non-partisan issues like contraception become battlegrounds for political maneuvering.