“Pro-abortion Democrats are dramatically out of touch with a majority of Americans who reject abortion extremism,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement Friday.
“Already in this new Dobbs era, more than a dozen states have implemented life-saving protections for unborn children and their mothers. Yet Democrats and the abortion industry are spreading fear and lies about the Dobbs decision to push their unpopular, unsafe agenda — including the deceptively named Women’s Health Protection Act.”
Chelsey Youman, national legislative advisor for the pro-life Human Coalition Action, said the act would make aborting a child legal up until death for any reason.
“As states finally have the ability to protect all preborn lives, a narrow House majority now wants to impose abortion-on-demand on the entire country,” Youman said in a statement.
“It would force Americans to pay for abortions with their tax dollars,” she cautioned. “It would violate the conscience rights of some health care professionals by forcing them to perform abortions against their deepest-held beliefs.”
The legislation, she said, would make the U.S. stand out in its support of abortion.
“Furthermore, it would place the United States among the countries in the world with the most liberal abortion laws. Only seven countries allow elective abortions after 20 weeks — and this list includes the notorious human rights violators North Korea and China.”
A challenge to the Dobbs decision
The House also advanced the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act on Friday in a 222-205 vote that fell largely along party lines. Three Republicans joined Democrats: Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.
The legislation would not only protect women seeking to travel out of state to obtain an abortion but also would safeguard the interstate commerce or transportation of FDA-approved abortion drugs.
“These bills would endanger lives by expanding the reach of chemical abortion and allowing telemedicine mailing across state lines without physical examination, which could be life-threatening, especially in cases of ectopic pregnancies,” March for Life President Jeanne Mancini said in a statement. “Disturbingly, if enacted the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act could also lead to shielding child abusers who transport women or girls across state lines for abortions from criminal liability.”
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Congress should provide a pro-life alternative to women and the unborn, she said.
“In this post-Roe America, it is important now more than ever to ensure women and their children experience the physical and emotional support they need to thrive,” she added. “We urge Congress to prioritize life-affirming legislation rather than harmful bills that prop up the pro-abortion lobby.”
Mancini stressed that these bills threatened the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs.
“These bills are designed to undermine and eliminate the states’ rights to protect women and their unborn children through laws passed by their elected representatives, a right restored by the Supreme Court in the landmark Dobbs decision,” she said.
Shannon Mullen is the Editor-in-Chief of CNA. He previously worked as a features writer, investigative reporter, and editor with the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press. He has received numerous national reporting awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
Former Washington, D. C., correspondent Katie Yoder covered pro-life issues, the U.S. Catholic bishops, public policy, and Congress for Catholic News Agency. She previously worked for Townhall.com, National Review, and the Media Research Center.
