Blumenthal, Gillibrand, Boxer, Murray, Shaheen, And 26 Other Senators, Send Letter to Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis Thanking Her for Leading Successful Effort to Defeat State Anti-Abortion Bill With 11-Hour Filibuster

(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and 26 other senators, sent a letter to Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis thanking her for her 11-hour filibuster, which played a key role in defeating S.B.5. This bill would have banned abortion procedures after 20 weeks and placed conditions on clinics – for equipment and for admitting privileges for doctors at hospitals within thirty miles – that could have resulted in just five abortion clinics remaining open across the entirety of Texas.

Additional signers of the letter include U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.),  Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mark Udall (D-Col.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Col.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.):

Text of the letter is below. 

Dear Senator Davis:

Thank you for your courage and determination in defeating S.B. 5, a bill that would have severely limited women’s reproductive choices in Texas. Your steadfastness sets an example that one person’s voice and commitment can make a difference. As Senators, we were awestruck as we watched you stand on the Senate floor of the Texas Legislature for hours in the face of ideologically based attempts to pass legislation that would threaten women’s health. Thanks to your dedication, Texas and the rest of the country will rethink efforts to enact similar laws. We are proud to call you an ally and a friend.

With appreciation and admiration,