With Proposed 6-Week Abortion Ban, House Intensifies Sick War on Women’s Health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 1, 2017
Contact: Stephanie Reichin,
617.549.3745, [email protected]
Statement by National Institute for Reproductive Health President Andrea Miller
New York – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice will hold a hearing on yet another unconstitutional, medically unjustified, and harmful abortion ban. The bill being discussed, H.R. 490, would federally ban abortions after just six weeks – which is typically before a woman even learns she is pregnant. H.R. 490 represents the continuation of outrageous attacks on women’s freedom to make their own sexual and reproductive health decisions. The National Institute for Reproductive Health urges the House to cease discussions on this harmful legislation.
The following is a statement from the National Institute for Reproductive Health President Andrea Miller.
“The House is at it again, playing dangerous games with women’s bodies by discussing yet another bill that completely ignores women’s constitutionally afforded rights. H.R.490 is the latest in a series of federal attacks meant to restrict women’s access to reproductive health care and freedom.
“If passed, this dangerous bill would – in some cases – resign a woman to having a child, regardless of whether she is prepared physically, emotionally, or financially. At the very same time, President Trump is seeking to roll back the the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraceptive coverage mandate, putting women’s health and lives at the mercy of their employers, insurance companies and schools.
“As Washington continues to attempt to restrict abortion access and stigmatize reproductive health, cities and states are our last lines of defense and must step up, fight back, and protect their residents. The National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) will continue to pro-actively arm states and cities across the country with the tools they need to pass legislation that safeguards access to abortion and contraception, regardless of what happens at the federal level.
“The National Institute for Reproductive Health strongly condemns this bill and urges residents to join us in calling our representatives and voicing our disgust. Without access to affordable, safe abortion care and the full range of contraceptive options, women cannot ever be truly independent or equal in the United States of America.”
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