Washington, D.C.– Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) today praised the Supreme Court decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. By a 5-3 margin, the Court struck down two provisions of an anti-abortion law in Texas – requirements that abortion providers have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital and that procedures only be performed at ambulatory surgical centers – which have already caused half of the state’s abortion clinics to close.
“The Supreme Court’s decision today reaffirms every woman’s constitutional right to determine what is best for her own body, regardless of where she lives or what financial means she has,” Rep. Grijalva said. “The effect, and intent, of Texas’ H.B. 2 was to insidiously undermine a woman’s fundamental access by imposing crushing burdens on providers, causing many to close their doors and leaving women in many parts of the state with no reasonable options to receive lawful care. Sadly, some undocumented immigrant woman are completely prohibited from seeking care altogether because they would be forced to travel to locations beyond immigration checkpoints.
“This decision is as much a triumph for the integrity of our Constitution as it is for women across the country,” Grijalva continued. “Our rights are not subject to the whims of politicians. In my home state of Arizona, anti-choice laws disproportionately prevent low-income women and women of color from obtaining a legal medical service. The effort by GOP-run legislatures around the country to undermine a woman’s right to make her own health care choices does more than force a radical agenda on personal life decisions – it strips their own constituents of the protections this country prides itself on. I believe the American people deserve better than that, and I am glad to see the Supreme Court believes that too.”
“Forty-three years after Roe v. Wade, women are still fighting for their right to choose,” Rep. Ellison said. “Today’s Supreme Court ruling will keep dozens of women’s health clinics open, and help ensure that retrogressive, anti-choice laws don’t get between a woman and her health by closing clinics in Texas and around the country. And that’s a victory for all women and all Americans.
“These anti-choice laws have never been about women’s health – they’ve always been about restricting women’s access to abortion,” Ellison continued. “The best way to protect women’s health and safety is to allow women to make their own choices, and stop trying to legislate their bodies. I’m glad the Supreme Court concurs.”
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