U.S. House Takes Important Step to Defend the Constitutional Right to Abortion by Passing the Women’s Health Protection Act

(BOSTON, MA) – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect access to abortion care through the country by prohibiting abortion bans and medically-unnecessary restrictions. The Women’s Health Protection Act would void the Texas abortion ban, SB8, which bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, and prevent abortion ban measures from being implemented or enacted in other states. Texas’ draconian abortion ban law has now been in effect for more than three weeks. The impact is already clear – abortion care is closed across the state, clinics in nearby states are overwhelmed, and thousands of pregnant Texans who are unable to travel elsewhere are going without desperately needed care. Pregnant people in other states could face similar barriers and undue burdens if the Supreme Court upholds the Mississippi abortion ban it will consider this fall. State legislators have passed hundreds of restrictive laws making abortion care unattainable for people, in a direct challenge to the protections of Roe v. Wade.  

Statement of Community Catalyst Executive Director Emily Stewart on today’s passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act in the House: 

“The constitutional right to legal abortion does not exist if only certain groups of people can exercise it, yet the burden of the Texas abortion ban falls disproportionately on those pregnant Texans who already face unfair barriers to health and economic security, including people with low incomes, people of color, LGTBQ+ people, those who live in rural areas and people with disabilities. That is why Congress must act to protect legal access to abortion across the country. Abortion is health care, and is essential for health, racial and economic justice, as well as reproductive autonomy.  

“We applaud the House for defending all pregnant people’s constitutional right to safe, legal abortion by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act and encourage the Senate to follow suit.” 

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About Community Catalyst: Community Catalyst is a leading non-profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for health equity and justice. We partner with local, state and national advocates to leverage and build power so all people can influence decisions that affect their health. Health systems will not be accountable to people without a fully engaged and organized community voice. That’s why we work every day to ensure people’s interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and health care are made: in communities, state houses and on Capitol Hill. For more information, visit http://www.communitycatalyst.org. Follow us on Twitter @CommCatHealth.