Congressman Joe Morelle Acts to Ensure a Woman's Right to Reproductive Healthcare is Federally Protected

Press Release

Today, Congressman Joe Morelle voted to establish a federally-protected right to reproductive healthcare for all women. In response to alarming action by the Supreme Court and states across America to roll back women's rights, the legislative package passed by the House of Representatives seeks to empower women and safeguard their ability to make independent, informed healthcare decisions. Congressman Morelle led the debate on the House floor in support of these critical measures.

"Overturning Roe v Wade was just the beginning--we've now seen repeated efforts to strip women of their fundamental rights and ability to make basic family planning decisions," said Congressman Joe Morelle. "We need federal action to protect access to reproductive health freedom, which is why today, I proudly voted to make the provisions of Roe v. Wade the law of the land. By passing this legislation, we've made it clear that we won't stand for this assault on women's rights. The Senate must join us in immediately passing these bills into law."

"At Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York (PPCWNY), we will continue to provide the expert care, education and resources the communities we serve have come to rely on," said Michelle Casey, President of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York. "We need leaders in all levels of our government to take bold actions to protect our fundamental human rights and were pleased to see the Women's Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act passed today. PPCWNY will never back down from this fight, and we are grateful for the support and leadership of Congressman Morelle as we collectively rise to meet the demands of this critical moment."

Following a disastrous ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson reversing over 50 years of progress, women across America are facing a dark and dangerous era where they no longer have control over their own bodies. States are moving to criminalize a woman's ability to make her own healthcare decisions, and our fundamental right to privacy is under attack. In response, Congressman Joe Morelle voted to pass two bills to establish federal protections for women's healthcare:

H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act codifies the provisions of Roe v wade into federal law, establishing a statutory right for healthcare providers to provide abortion care and a corresponding right for their patients to receive that care. This legislation would render all statewide bans on reproductive care illegal.

H.R. 8297, The Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Actprohibits the restricting, impeding, or criminalizing of a person's constitutional right to travel across state lines for the purpose of obtaining lawful reproductive healthcare.

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