“The introduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act is welcome news for women. This legislation is sorely needed to counter the relentless attacks on women’s access to abortion care in states across the country. A woman’s reproductive rights should not be determined by the composition of her state government.

The Women’s Health Protection Act would ensure women’s ability to make personal health care decisions is not hindered by unnecessary regulations that make it harder to access abortion care. Those working to restrict women’s reproductive rights have cynically tried to disguise onerous and unnecessary restrictions as safety measures when, in fact, their sole purpose is to close clinics and limit access to abortion services.

This legislation would also repair and preserve the patient-provider relationship by allowing medical professionals to provide accurate information to their patients and make decisions based on their best medical judgment. The barrage of laws passed to restrict access to abortion care has forced doctors to practice medicine based on the political ideologies of extremist lawmakers, not their medical knowledge or the needs of each individual patient.

If enacted, the Women’s Health Protection Act would begin to reverse the devastating impact of years of callous attacks on women’s health. It would allow women to make their own personal health care decisions regardless of where they live, and protect the relationship between a woman and her health care provider. We thank Senators Blumenthal, Baldwin and Boxer and Representatives Chu, Fudge and Frankel for recognizing the need for this legislation and working together to introduce it. We urge the Senate and House to pass this legislation.”