House of Democrats’ Strong Efforts for Reproductive Rights in Texas
The fight for reproductive rights still goes strong as the House of Democrats passes the Women’s Health Protection Act, which combats Texas’ restrictive abortion laws.
BIG NEWS: The House just passed the Women’s Health Protection Act to guarantee abortion as a right.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) September 24, 2021
I know how difficult of a decision it can be to choose to have an abortion — and it’s a decision that every pregnant person deserves to make for themselves. pic.twitter.com/shJXeh56fT
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly worked on a bill that would counter Bill 8 after hearing the Supreme Court’s inaction to block it. On September 1, Bill 8 went into effect in Texas, which meant women could not get an abortion when a fetal heartbeat was detected. This would usually occur after six weeks of pregnancy when most women do not know they are expecting. The bill also gave the authority for any citizen to sue anyone who helps women receive the procedure. This spans from family and friends to even Uber drivers, and doctors. The bill would not respect expectations of rape or incest. Essentially, Bill 8 took away a woman’s reproductive right and degraded the monumental efforts of Roe v. Wade.
Join Members of Congress and me live at the U.S. Capitol for a press conference on the Women’s Health Protection Act ahead of the vote in the House of Representatives. #WHPA https://t.co/7TRj2pupK7
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 24, 2021
In turn, the House of Democrats came together to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which passed 218-211. However, most of the concerns are the opposition from the Senate Republicans. The justices who voted to not block Bill 8 tried to reason that they have yet to judge the constitutionality of the law.
Representative Pramila Jayapal, courageously opened up about her story. She explained,” One in four women across American have had an abortion. I am one of them. Terminating my pregnancy, Madam Speaker, was not an easy choice for me. But it was my choice. It is time to preserve that for all people.”
Pelosi also added, “This is about freedom. About freedom of women to have a choice about the size and timing of their families, not the business of people on the [Supreme] Court or members of Congress.”
Thank you for protecting a women’s right to have control over her own body @RepDavidEPrice #WHPA https://t.co/zSA2jW2RhE
— Senator Natalie Murdock (@NatalieforNC) September 24, 2021
The Women’s Health Protection Act is still undetermined whether it will be passed, given the majority of the chamber. Although, passing the act in the Democratic house provides future voters a clearer image of what they stand for and what the House of Republicans has in mind for the future.
However, the fight is still on. Some abortion providers petitioned for the Supreme Court to review their case to challenge the Texas law. The advocates ask the Supreme Court to quickly get to their case instead of waiting until it’s too late.
As always, there is something that we can do to help. If you want to donate your time or money to help women seeking abortions, these organizations are worth checking out.
- The Lilith Fund provides financial assistance and emotional support to women seeking the procedure. They still managed to help women, even after Texas temporarily banned abortion.
- Texas Equal Access Fund helps low-income people in North Texas pay for abortion care.
- Jane’s Due Process helps Texas teens access birth control and abortion. They also provide legal support for teens seeking an abortion through a judicial bypass.
Content Writer
