Blumenthal, Baldwin Statement On Supreme Court TX Abortion Law Decision

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision on Tuesday refusing to reinstate an injunction regarding a restrictive Texas state law that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at surrounding area hospitals. Since the intentionally burdensome law went into effect last month, it has forced more than one-third of the state’s abortion clinics to close their doors to women.

Blumenthal said, “Yesterday’s Supreme Court decision is further proof that we cannot rely on the courts alone to protect a woman’s right to access reproductive care. The Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that I and my colleague Senator Baldwin introduced in the Senate last week, would protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion by stopping restrictive regulations and laws – such as the Texas state law upheld this week – intended to curtail reproductive health services for women. I will continue to fight for the passage of this legislation, and will keep in mind the women and families who are suffering today because of the clinic closures across the state of Texas.”

Baldwin said, “From Texas to Wisconsin, politicians have been standing between women and their doctors by restricting access to reproductive health services and imposing unreasonable requirements on health care providers. They are doing this because they think they know better than women and their doctors but they don’t. Similar to the law in Texas, in my home state of Wisconsin our Republican governor recently authorized a measure that requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. This extreme law has been temporarily blocked by a court order, but if enacted this measure would force several Wisconsin health clinics to shut their doors and others to reduce services, leaving many women out in the cold. Americans should not have to rely on last minute court decisions to make the best health decisions for their families. I am proud to stand up to these attacks on women’s freedoms with the Women’s Health Protection Act.  Every American deserves access to quality, safe health care and the ability to exercise her individual and constitutional rights to make her own, private health decisions.”

Blumenthal and Baldwin are cosponsors of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion by stopping restrictive regulations and laws – such as those in place in states including Texas and Wisconsin – intended to curtail reproductive health services for women.