Catholics for Choice Hails House Passage of Abortion Rights Bills, Slams Obstructionist Opponents
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, July 15, 2022
Contact: John Becker, Press Secretary
Phone: 202-203-0931
Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Hails House Passage of Abortion Rights Bills, Slams Obstructionist Opponents
WASHINGTON — Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, issued the following statement from President Jamie L. Manson, M.Div. today after the House of Representatives passed a pair of critical bills protecting the right to abortion access and the right to travel to receive abortion care:
“Catholics for Choice is grateful that once again, under the steadfast moral leadership of pro-choice Catholic Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives has passed the Women’s Health Protection Act – a critical bill that guarantees providers the right to deliver, and people the right to receive, abortion care, free from medically unnecessary limitations and political interference. We are additionally heartened by House passage of the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act, which would safeguard the rights of any person traveling across state lines to access abortion care and protect the providers and support networks who assist them.
“In a post-Roe America, where half the states are moving to ban abortion entirely, these protections are needed more urgently than ever before – and in a truly just society, today’s votes would be unanimous. But far too many of our elected officials would rather play politics with the lives of millions of women and people with the capacity to get pregnant.
“Congress has had months to plan a response to the Supreme Court’s threat to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now that this is a reality, those in power must do everything they can to actually help their constituents whose rights have been stolen. The members of Congress who voted against these common-sense measures ought to be ashamed of themselves – as should the senators whose choice to cower behind the racist filibuster all but ensures that these bills will never make it to President Biden’s desk. We call on the representatives who voted no today – and the senators who may never vote on these bills – to counteract the immense suffering wrought by the Supreme Court and legislate the will of the people, like they were elected to do.
“If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times: healthcare, including abortion, is a human right. Congress must act to protect this fundamental right for women and pregnant people. That’s why last week, Catholics for Choice released our Post-Roe Federal Policy Agenda. Every elected official must do more – the moment demands it.”
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.
