Gallego Votes to Protect Reproductive Freedom

Statement

Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) voted for H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act.

"While Republicans in Arizona and across the country push ahead with a full-bore attack on reproductive rights, Democrats in Congress have stood firm in our fight for the health and safety of women," said Rep. Gallego. "For the GOP, success means jailing doctors providing abortions and forcing women and girls to give birth to the child of their rapist. The divide between our parties on this incredibly important issue could not be greater. The two bills passed today seek to protect women from the cruel policies of these right-wing, extremist lawmakers. I will continue to fight for women and individual rights across this country."

The Women's Health Protection Act ensures health care providers have a statutory right to provide abortion care and patients have a statutory right to receive that care, free from state bans and restrictions that are only intended to impede or block access.

The Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act ensures 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 includes vigilantes who could be empowered by states to seek out a person for obtaining an abortion.

The constitutional right to an abortion was overturned following the right-wing Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. In the proceeding weeks, conservative states across the country have moved to restrict and outlaw the reproductive freedom of women. In Congress, Republicans have made clear their intent to restrict abortion access on the federal level.

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