Supreme Court Today Reaffirmed Right that No Government Should Usurp, DeGette Says

Denver – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO), co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, today praised the Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt as a victory for women’s health that sets a strong precedent for reproductive rights.

"The Supreme Court has again recognized that women in this country must be free to make their own choices about their health and are entitled to be treated with compassion, respect and dignity in making those decisions," DeGette said. "No government should usurp that right."

The 5-3 decision strikes down Texas House Bill 2 (H.B. 2), a state law that placed burdensome regulations on abortion providers, and paves the way for more clinics to open and reopen in Texas and across the nation.

In January, DeGette led 155 other Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Court on the harmful and wide-ranging impact of H.B. 2. As noted in the brief, the law has forced many clinics in the state to close. Today, the Court’s decision could now halt the steady decline of women’s health providers in Texas and other states that have passed similar laws targeting health clinics.

“I am pleased that this ruling will benefit women across America, but the fight to protect abortion access does not end today," DeGette said. "This is only the first step in dismantling hundreds of medically unnecessary laws aimed at making it harder for women to exercise their rights."