NNEDV Reacts to House Passage of Abortion Access Bills
July 15, 2022
Washington, D.C. – In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which stripped away the constitutional right to abortion secured under Roe v. Wade, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two critical abortion access bills today: the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8296) and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 (H.R. 8297).
NNEDV applauds the House for passing two urgently needed bills that would protect the right to abortion access across the country even in a world without Roe.
The following is a statement from Deborah J. Vagins, NNEDV President and CEO:
Abortion services are essential healthcare and having equal access—for all people, everywhere—is vital to their social and economic participation, reproductive autonomy, and right to determine their own lives. For domestic violence survivors, abortion access is a matter of safety and, without it, survivors are at risk of reproductive coercion. All people, including domestic violence survivors, deserve full control over their lives and decisions, including the ability to safely and freely decide whether or not to become, or stay, pregnant.
Without constitutional protections, congressional action is necessary to protect every person’s right to make their own decisions about their bodies. The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) protects the ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and a healthcare provider’s ability to provide abortion services. WHPA works toward a future where everyone is free to make the personal decisions that shape their lives, their futures, and their families without political interference.
The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act prohibits anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person’s ability to access out-of-state abortion services. The Supreme Court’s decision leaves millions struggling to access the essential health care they need, forcing those who have the means to travel thousands of miles to access abortion care or forcing others to carry pregnancies against their will. This bill would protect individuals seeking help, individuals assisting others, and healthcare providers providing services to out-of-state patients. No individual should fear helping those in need of care or those suffering from reproductive coercion.
In passing these bills, House members have demonstrated their commitment to abortion access and equal rights for all. We urge the Senate to do the same by passing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2022 and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 without delay.
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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 U.S. state and territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is dedicated to creating a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.