20-Week Abortion Ban Bill is a Cruel Attack on Women’s Freedom

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2017
Contact: Stephanie Reichin, 617.549.3745, [email protected]

Statement by National Institute for Reproductive Health President Andrea Miller

“Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an unconstitutional, medically unnecessary abortion ban. In addition to being unconstitutional, H.R. 36 will leave women who need to access abortion later in pregnancy without any recourse, and criminalizes abortion after an arbitrary cutoff point. This bill is an attack on a woman’s freedom to make personal decisions about her health and aims to assert legislator control over her sexual and reproductive life.

“We urge the Senate to stand up for women’s freedom and reject this cruel bill. It is time to expand access to healthcare in the United States, not take it away. True access to reproductive health care, including abortion, means that every woman – no matter her circumstances — can do so affordably, in a timely manner, and with support and dignity. As the federal government continues to restrict access to abortion and stigmatize reproductive health, the National Institute for Reproductive Health will provide states and cities with the tools they need to pass legislation with the goal of making abortion affordable, accessible, and recognized for the positive role it plays in women’s lives.”
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The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) builds power at the state and local levels to change public policy, galvanize public support, and normalize women’s decisions about abortion and contraception.