The
Women’s Health Protection Act of 2019 (H.R. 2975) has surpassed 200
cosponsors in the House of Representatives, more signers than ever
before
(PRESS
RELEASE) The Center for Reproductive Rights applauds the more than 200
Members of Congress who have signed on to cosponsor the Women’s Health
Protection Act of 2019, a bill to preserve equal access to abortion
everywhere. As of today, the Women’s Health Protection Act has 203
cosponsors in the House of Representatives.
The Women’s Health Protection Act was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH) on May 23, 2019 with 173 original cosponsors. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced an identical bill in the Senate with 42 original cosponsors.
The Women’s Health Protection Act establishes a statutory right for health care providers to provide, and their patients to receive, abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans.
“Surpassing the two hundred cosponsor mark in the House is a tremendous milestone for the Women’s Health Protection Act, and it puts the bill one step closer to a hearing and a vote,” said Lourdes Rivera, Senior Vice President of U.S. Programs at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “By signing on to support this bill, these Members of Congress are doing their part to ensure that the right to abortion recognized by Roe remains a reality for all people, no matter where they live.”
The surge in support comes as state legislatures continue to pass restrictive abortion laws designed to dismantle the constitutional protections recognized by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, and repeatedly upheld by the Court since then. Despite these legal guarantees, 18 states have enacted 46 new laws this year that prohibit or restrict abortion, including nine unconstitutional pre-viability bans on abortion.
The Women's Health Protection Act would prohibit bans and medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion and impede access to care. These include six-week, eight-week, and 15-week bans, requirements that providers give patients medically inaccurate and false information, and state-mandated medical procedures including unnecessary ultrasounds.
The Women’s Health Protection Act is supported by the Act for Women campaign, a broad coalition of more than 100 organizations committed to reproductive health, rights, and justice. The Center for Reproductive Rights and the Act for Women campaign are encouraging supporters to ask their Representative and Senators to cosponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act at
ActForWomen.org/take-action.
Congresswoman Chu and Senator Blumenthal first introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act in 2013 in the 113th Congress where it had 132 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 35 in the Senate. It has been introduced every Congress since, with more cosponsors each term.
For a complete list of cosponsors, visit Congress.gov.
###
Press Contact:
Kelly Krause, kkrause@reprorights.org, (917) 637-3649
The Women’s Health Protection Act was introduced in the House by U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), and Marcia Fudge (D-OH) on May 23, 2019 with 173 original cosponsors. The bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced an identical bill in the Senate with 42 original cosponsors.
The Women’s Health Protection Act establishes a statutory right for health care providers to provide, and their patients to receive, abortion services free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans.
“Surpassing the two hundred cosponsor mark in the House is a tremendous milestone for the Women’s Health Protection Act, and it puts the bill one step closer to a hearing and a vote,” said Lourdes Rivera, Senior Vice President of U.S. Programs at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “By signing on to support this bill, these Members of Congress are doing their part to ensure that the right to abortion recognized by Roe remains a reality for all people, no matter where they live.”
The surge in support comes as state legislatures continue to pass restrictive abortion laws designed to dismantle the constitutional protections recognized by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade, and repeatedly upheld by the Court since then. Despite these legal guarantees, 18 states have enacted 46 new laws this year that prohibit or restrict abortion, including nine unconstitutional pre-viability bans on abortion.
The Women's Health Protection Act would prohibit bans and medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion and impede access to care. These include six-week, eight-week, and 15-week bans, requirements that providers give patients medically inaccurate and false information, and state-mandated medical procedures including unnecessary ultrasounds.
The Women’s Health Protection Act is supported by the Act for Women campaign, a broad coalition of more than 100 organizations committed to reproductive health, rights, and justice. The Center for Reproductive Rights and the Act for Women campaign are encouraging supporters to ask their Representative and Senators to cosponsor the Women’s Health Protection Act at
ActForWomen.org/take-action.
Congresswoman Chu and Senator Blumenthal first introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act in 2013 in the 113th Congress where it had 132 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 35 in the Senate. It has been introduced every Congress since, with more cosponsors each term.
For a complete list of cosponsors, visit Congress.gov.
###
Press Contact:
Kelly Krause, kkrause@reprorights.org, (917) 637-3649
