House Pro-Choice Caucus Speaks Out for Women’s Reproductive Health Care as Supreme Court Begins Hearing Arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt
Pro-Choice Allies at the Supreme Court Steps Call for Access to Constitutionally-Protected Health Care
Washington, D.C. – As the Supreme Court begins hearing oral arguments today in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, members of the House Pro-Choice Caucus called on the court to uphold Roe v. Wade and reject efforts to undermine a woman’s constitutionally protected right to make her own choices about her body. Despite the court finding a constitutional right for women to make their own health care decisions, politicians at the national, state, and local level continue to try to deny women access to the full range of medical services they need. Such attempts have had dangerous repercussions for women who lack access to medical services and are forced to take matters into their own hands.
“Women across our country must be able to access reproductive health care services when they need them, where they need them,” said caucus co-chairs Slaughter and DeGette. “For more than forty years, the Supreme Court has recognized the constitutional right of all women to access safe, legal reproductive health care—including abortion services. The Supreme Court should reaffirm that right in this case and strike down laws specifically designed to place dangerous limits on access to reproductive health care.”
In January, Representatives Slaughter and DeGette helped lead a group of 155 Democrats and 2 Independents in filing an amicus brief in this case, which addresses the impact of Texas’s 2013 extreme anti-abortion law, known as HB2. This law imposes requirements designed to make it harder for women to exercise their constitutionally protected reproductive rights. The lead petitioner in the case, Whole Woman’s Health, is the sole remaining abortion clinic in Texas’ vast Rio Grande Valley, and would be forced to close if HB2 were allowed to take effect. If the Supreme Court upholds HB2, the number of health care clinics providing abortions in Texas would drop by more than 75 percent to ten clinics statewide. Additionally, 900,000 women of childbearing age would be forced to drive more than 300 miles to get an abortion.
Several members of the House Pro-Choice Caucus will be joining pro-choice allies at the steps of the Supreme Court today. Members including caucus co-chair DeGette, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer have also released videos calling on the court to ensure continued reproductive health care access. Links to each of the videos is available below.
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici
Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
A link to a playlist for all of the videos can be found here.