Rep. Barragán Votes to Protect Women's Access to Abortion, Protections for Reproductive Health Freedom

Press Release

Today, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) voted to pass H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act, and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, part of the House Democrats efforts to increase protections for abortion access in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's overturning the right to an abortion.

The two bills work to ensure that women across the country have access to reproductive health services, ensures protections are in place for those traveling across state lines to receive an abortion, and establishes a statutory right to abortion care.

"Congress will not stand by while Republican state legislators work aggressively to take reproductive rights away from women," said Rep. Barragán. "These laws are so extreme that they would force rape victims to carry out their pregnancy, would allow prosecution of anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion in another state, prosecute doctors in other states who perform abortions, and put in place invasive surveillance measures that would try and track various aspects of a woman's daily life. We will continue to pass legislation to protect a woman's right to choose. These bills provide critical protections to women who live in Republican-controlled states when they travel to another state to receive abortion care, protects access to essential health services, and makes clear that all women, regardless of where they live, have a right to an abortion."

"These bills are just the start. We must expand the Supreme Court, codify Roe into law, and continue to fight for reproductive health services in low-income areas. Democrats in Congress and the Biden Administration will carry-on this fight until this fundamental right to privacy and control over one's own body is restored."

Previously passed in September 2021, the updated Women's Health Protection Act would create a statutory right under federal law to access abortions, which would overrule any state restrictions or bans.

The Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act protects Americans against extreme organizations, individuals, and state and local officials by ensuring no person acting under state law can prevent, restrict, impede, or otherwise retaliate against a person traveling across state lines to obtain a lawful abortion. This also includes citizens deputized by states to seek out a person for obtaining an abortion.

Additionally, the legislation prohibits interference against:

A healthcare provider's ability to provide abortions that are lawful in the state in which the service is to be provided,
A person's ability to assist a healthcare provider in completing an abortion in a state where it is lawful to do so,
A person or entity's ability to assist someone who is traveling across state lines to obtain an abortion,
The movement of any drug approved or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration for the termination of pregnancies.
Both bills will next move to the Senate for consideration.

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