There’s a lot of bad news, but the House just gave us hope.
[[link removed]]Dear John,

Here’s the topline (check out the below for more context):

The Women’s Health Protection Act would protect abortion rights. It’s through
the House (🎉), and now on to the Senate for a vote. Tell your representatives—your governor, state legislators, members of
Congress, and the president—it’s past time for a proactive abortion agenda.

TAKE ACTION
[[link removed]]Here’s a quick rundown of where we are on abortion access:


In 1973, the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade established that people
have a constitutional right to abortion care, free of excessive interference
from the government. In the nearly 50 years since then, anti-abortion forces
have steadily encroached on that right, passing state laws that close clinics,
create barriers, and make abortion inaccessible for a large portion of the
population. Since 1973, states have enacted 1,327 restrictions on abortion. Ninety-seven of those restrictions were passed between January and August of
2021, making this year the worst on record for abortion rights (1) . What we are witnessing is the erosion of reproductive justice in America.

WHAT'S REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE?
[[link removed]]What does this mean for us?



We can no longer rely on the courts to protect the right to abortion care. Early
this month, the Supreme Court refused to block a blatantly unconstitutional
abortion ban in the state of Texas . The new law prohibits nearly all abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy,
effectively banning 85% of procedures in the state (2) . In addition, the law enables private citizens to sue healthcare providers who
provide an abortion and individuals who help a person obtain an abortion. It
includes an incentive of at least $10,000 to those who successfully win these
lawsuits. The result is a bounty system that targets abortion providers while
also undermining key support systems for those seeking abortion care.

How do we fix this?


If we want to protect the constitutional right to abortion care, we need
proactive action at every level of government. Moreover, policymakers must go
beyond baseline legal protections to ensure meaningful access to abortion for
all, especially for young people of color, people with low incomes, people with
disabilities, people in the South, and LGBTQ people. This means building a
cultural and systemic framework that values abortion as essential health care.
The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) is one step. It will protect abortion
rights by establishing a statutory right for health care professionals to
provide abortion care and for patients to receive that care. WHPA also
eliminates some key barriers to abortion access, including mandatory waiting
periods, biased counseling, two-trip requirements, and mandatory ultrasounds. The Women’s Health Protection Act tackles abortion restrictions head-on.


So what’s up with crucial legislation for abortion?


The good news is that the House just passed WHPA! This is major! But it still has to get through the Senate to
become law. Here’s where you come in.

TAKE ACTION
[[link removed]]Join us in fighting for constitutional rights; contact your lawmakers and ask
them to protect abortion access today. We have to transform how abortion is
treated in this country, especially for young people and those whose abortion
rights have been most obstructed. This is how we can save
[[link removed]] Roe v. Wade and even go further.
[[link removed]]

Best,

Edwith Theogene
Director of Advocacy
Generation Progress

P.S. Want more details about the Texas abortion ban you’ve probably been hearing
about in the news and how it impacts young people? Check out this explainer.
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Citations:

(1)
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(2) [link removed]
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