Rep. Susie Lee Votes to Pass Two Bills to Protect Access to Reproductive Care
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) voted to pass two pieces of legislation to protect access to reproductive care: H.R. 8296, The Women's Health Protection Act of 2022, and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022. The Women's Health Protection Act restores the right to abortion nationwide, ensuring all Americans – regardless of where they live – can make their own decisions about their lives and their futures. H.R. 8297 protects women traveling across state lines to access abortion care after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which granted women the constitutional right to abortion for nearly half a century. The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which Rep. Lee co-sponsored, protects the right to travel across state lines to access abortion and prohibits anyone from restricting or prohibiting an individual from crossing state lines to access abortion care in a state where it is legal.
"The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has put the health of millions of women in jeopardy," said Rep. Lee. "That's why I once again voted to pass the Women's Health Protection Act, which would restore abortion access nationwide without unnecessary restrictions that block care and undermine a woman's ability to make her own health care decisions. Since the fall of Roe, at least nine states have abortion bans in effect, and half of all states are expected to ban or severely restrict abortion in the days and weeks ahead. That's why it is absolutely critical that we protect women's constitutional right to interstate travel so that they can access abortion care in states like Nevada that have safeguarded the right to choose. As anti-choice politicians across the country seek to criminalize abortion seekers traveling to access reproductive health care, I'm proud to have voted today to reaffirm women's right to travel across state lines to receive the care they need. We can't allow extremists to deprive American women of yet another fundamental freedom. I urge the Senate to swiftly pass this much-needed legislation."
Nevada has been a refuge for abortion seekers since 1990, when abortion rights were codified into state law. With the Supreme Court's decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, Nevada is expected to see a 63% increase in women coming to the state for abortion care due to restrictions and bans in surrounding states such as Arizona, Idaho, and Utah. Las Vegas has already seen a 200% increase in patients traveling from Texas compared to the same time last year.
More on the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act and the Women's Health Protection Act:
The Ensuring Access to Abortion Act prohibits any person acting "under color of state law" from restricting or impeding a person's constitutional right to travel across state lines for the purpose of obtaining a lawful abortion, as well as any person or entity's ability to assist them. It also safeguards health care providers in providing or otherwise enabling lawful abortion services in states where the right to abortion care is protected. Additionally, it empowers the Attorney General to bring a civil action for declaratory and injunctive relief against any person who is in violation of the law and creates a private right of action for any person harmed a violation of this law to obtain declaratory and injunctive relief, damages, and attorneys' fees.
Today, Rep. Lee also voted to pass the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) for the second time to guarantee the right for patients to access abortion care and providers to provide abortion services, free from medically unnecessary and dangerous restrictions.
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