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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined her colleagues Judy Chu (CA-27), Lois Frankel (FL-21), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in issuing a statement in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow a restrictive Texas anti-abortion law to take effect. The members are the lead sponsors of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion, everywhere.

“In the middle of the night, in an unsigned, one-paragraph order, a conservative majority on the Supreme Court effectively overruled Roe v. Wade by refusing to block Texas’ extreme, restrictive anti-abortion law. This dangerous decision outlaws a woman’s right to choose after six weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest—denying millions access to constitutionally protected health care before many of them even know they are pregnant, and disproportionately harming low-income Texans and people of color.”

“This decision defies precedent, turns the clock back by decades, and offers cash bounties to anyone who wants to police the bodies and choices of their neighbors. Without action, abortion access in Texas will be functionally non-existent. Make no mistake about it—this extreme law and the Supreme Court’s decision is a cruel, calculated attack on health care and reproductive rights.”

“We must stop these egregious attacks and clarify that our rights do not depend on zip code. Last night’s decision underscores the urgency of our legislation to guarantee a person’s right to access an abortion—and the right of an abortion provider to deliver these abortion services—free from medically unnecessary restrictions that interfere with a patient’s individual choice or the provider-patient relationship.”

“Congress must act now and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act before other states follow the lead of Texas and institute restrictions that eviscerate reproductive health care and choice. We applaud Speaker Pelosi for her announcement that the Women's Health Protection Act will be brought to the floor for a vote when the House returns, and President Biden for his intent to use a whole-of-government effort to respond to the Supreme Court’s assault on reproductive rights.” 

Introduced with historic support, WHPA has 192 total co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 48 total co-sponsors in the Senate.

The text of the House bill is available here and the text of the Senate bill is available here.