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WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Paul D. Tonko today voted for bold legislative action to defend women’s health freedom in response to the Supreme Court’s dangerous decision overturning Roe v. Wade—as well as Republicans’ push for a nationwide abortion ban.  H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act will ensure Americans’ right to make their own health decisions, and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act will reaffirm the right to freely travel throughout the country to access reproductive care.

“Neither the Courts, States, or politicians should have any say in women’s ability to make their own decisions about their health, their wellbeing and their future,” Congressman Tonko said.  “Today, I proudly voted to defend Americans’ health and uphold our most basic freedoms, enshrining the protections of Roe into federal law and cracking down on right-wing threats to legal reproductive care.  House Democrats are committed to preserving the rights of every American, and I will continue fighting to defend health freedoms from these egregious attacks.” 

With its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed supermajority erased nearly 50 years of legal precedent – fulfilling the Republican Party’s longtime goal of ripping away Americans’ reproductive health freedoms.  At least eight states implemented extreme abortion bans the day of the Dobbs ruling, and right-wing lawmakers have begun implementing additional restrictions.  Many are even seeking to impede Americans’ ability to access care across state lines and threatening to arrest doctors for providing care.  Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence and Republicans in Congress have called for a federal law outlawing abortion in all 50 states.

These dangerous attacks are threatening the health, lives and well-being of Americans across the country.  Health care providers are practicing in fear of criminal prosecution – leading to the delay and denial of life-saving care.  Women who have been denied an abortion face a range of harmful outcomes, including an increase in household poverty, a greater likelihood of staying in contact with a violent partner and heightened risk of maternal death.  These impacts also have a disproportionate effect on women of color, low-income women, young women and members of the LGBTQ community, who too often lack the means to travel to obtain the care they need.

In response to this extremist assault on reproductive freedom, the House again passed the Women's Health Protection Act to enshrine Roe v. Wade into federal law.  Previously passed by the House last year, this landmark legislation has been updated to address the Dobbs ruling.  The Women's Health Protection Act will restore the right to an abortion nationwide – upholding all Americans’ freedom to make their own health care decisions as well as providers’ freedom to provide abortion care.  This bill would supersede state legislation – voiding all state-level abortion bans throughout the country.

The House also advanced the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act – addressing extremist Republicans’ attempts to restrict Americans’ freedom of movement.  This legislation will prohibit any attempt under state law to:

• Impede an individual from crossing state lines to obtain a legal abortion
• Interfere with a health care provider’s ability to offer legal reproductive care
• Restrict individuals from helping others to seek a legal abortion
• Obstruct the transportation of FDA-approved abortion medication.

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