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US Capitol Police arrest 35, including 17 members of Congress, at abortion protest

Ilhan Omar
Carolyn Maloney
Posted at 1:14 PM, Jul 19, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-19 21:35:32-04

Capitol Police arrested 17 members of Congress on Tuesday as protests over abortion rights were held at the U.S. Capitol. They were among 35 people arrested for "Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding," U.S. Capitol Police said.

While the Capitol Police did not immediately identify the members arrested,Axios reported that all 17 members were Democrats.

The 17 lawmakers arrested are Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Axios reported.

Ilhan Omar,, Jackie Speier,, Carolyn Maloney,, Alma Adams,, Nydia Velazquez
IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR CPD ACTION - From left, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-Calif., and Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., lock arms during a march for abortion rights, organized by the Center for Popular Democracy Action, outside the Capitol on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP Images for CPD Action)

The protest came as the House is expected to vote on codifying same-sex and interracial marriage and contraception rights nationwide.

The legislation is a preemptive attempt to solidify gay and interracial marriage and contraception rights nationwide. House Democrats say that the Supreme Court could reverse same-sex and interracial marriage and contraception rights at the national level the same way it overturned Roe v. Wade, which leaves the question of legal abortions to the states.