Power to Decide Applauds House Introduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act

WASHINGTON — Today, Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) will introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA). This bill would not only reinstate nationwide access to abortion care, it also would prevent medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion, such as mandatory waiting periods, ultrasounds and biased counseling, all of which had been permitted prior to the Dobbs decision. Power to Decide CEO, Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, issued the following statement in support of the bill:

“The U.S. is in the midst of a reproductive health crisis. As more state legislatures seek to ban abortion, 14 states already have no clinics that provide abortion care — leaving more than 17 million people who can get pregnant living in states without access to abortion care. Travel time to an abortion clinic has more than tripled since the Dobbs decision. Pregnancy is already dangerous in this nation, especially for Black and brown people who already face barriers to high-quality health care services. People in rural communities, communities of color and low-income communities often do not have the resources to navigate abortion bans and those harms fall disproportionately on them. Too often the result is people being forced to remain pregnant against their will.

“This can have deadly consequences. Today, in states like Texas, some medical professionals are delaying lifesaving care because they fear legal risks. Patients shouldn’t have to be on life support to access abortion care; abortion should be accessible to every person when they need it. 

“As a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist, I know firsthand that abortion bans do irreparable harm to people. I urge the House to take immediate action to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure that all people have access to abortion care, regardless of who they are, where they live or what their economic circumstances may be.”

For the most comprehensive directory of trusted (and verified) abortion service providers and assistance resources in the United States, visit www.abortionfinder.org.

###
Power to Decide is a private, non-partisan, nonprofit organization that works to ensure all people — no matter who they are, where they live, or what their economic status might be — have the power to decide if, when and under what circumstances to get pregnant or have a child.