Kahele Votes to Pass Critical Reproductive Rights Legislation Through the U.s. House of Representatives

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele (HI-02) voted to pass two pieces of legislation, the Women's Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022, which will protect critical access to reproductive health services for all despite the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Combined, these bills will protect a person's ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy, protect a health care provider's ability to provide abortion services and prohibit State law from interfering with the provision of interstate abortion services.

"A person's health decisions are their own to make, in consultation with their doctor and loved ones -- not to be dictated by the far-right," said Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele. "While Republicans in Congress plan to criminalize abortion in all 50 states, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to restore Roe v. Wade. As the first state to decriminalize abortion, Hawaiʻi, will continue to support equal opportunity and gender equity while protecting everyone's right to choose."

H.R.8296: The Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 protects abortion access nationwide by establishing a statutory right for health care professionals to provide abortion care and the right for their patients to receive care, free from medically unnecessary restrictions that single out abortion care.

H.R.8297: Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 prohibits any person acting under color of State law, including private parties, from punishing Americans traveling for reproductive health care, which is protected by the constitutional right to travel.

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