Should Congress protect a person’s ability to determine whether to continue a pregnancy, and protect a health care provider’s ability to provide abortion services?
This bill would protect the rights of anyone capable of becoming pregnant to choose whether or not they want to have an abortion under the federal government. It would also protect healthcare providers’ right to provide abortion services. This bill will allow for patients seeking abortion services to be provided accurate information that follows proper medical procedure. The bill would allow for anyone, no matter what state they reside in, to seek safe and accessible abortion services, and for health care providers to provide these services in that manner.
Sponsor: Representative Judy Chu (Democrat, California, District 27)
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Opponents say
• "The WHPA’s stated purpose is to “promote access to abortion” by effectively repealing broadly supported existing pro-life policy and prohibiting the enactmenof pro-life policy in the future. It would endanger long-standing state and federal laws that have been put in place over the past 40 years. It would endanger essentially all state-level abortion laws protecting the unborn and women’s health—including from inhumane late-term abortion procedures—as well as existing state and federal laws protecting medical providers’ consciences and religious liberty and various provisions limiting taxpayer funding for abortions. These policies have been enacted by duly elected representatives around the country and represent broadly supported consensus policies." Source: Melanie Israel (The Heritage Foundation)
• "In Texas, passage of the WHPA would undo the historic victory of the Texas Heartbeat Act. The bill’s passage would also stop our other Pro-Life laws, including preventing the abortion industry from performing abortions on minor girls without their parents’ permission; banning abortion at 20 weeks when preborn children can feel pain; and prohibiting state and local funding of abortion providers and their affiliates." Source: Alex Alaniz (Texas Right to Life)
Proponents say
• "This bill creates federal protections against state laws that fail to protect women’s health and that intrude upon personal decision-making. It prohibits medically unwarranted restrictions that single out abortion services or the facilities that provide them. We have seen an unprecedented number of state-based attacks on a woman’s right to choose, and the Women’s Health Protection Act is our way to fight back." Source: Rep. Judy Chu (Democrat, California, District 27)
• "We must stop these egregious attacks and clarify that our rights do not depend on zip code. Last night’s decision underscores the urgency of our legislation to guarantee a person’s right to access an abortion—and the right of an abortion provider to deliver these abortion services—free from medically unnecessary restrictions that interfere with a patient’s individual choice or the provider-patient relationship. Congress must act now and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act before other states follow the lead of Texas and institute restrictions that eviscerate reproductive health care and choice." Source: Rep. Vanessa Escobar (Democrat, Texas, District 16)
