House Plans Vote On Abortion Bill, But Senate Future Is Sealed
House members are slated to vote Friday on the Women’s Health Protection Act, through which Democrats aim to codify Roe v. Wade. Even if it passes, the bill is considered “dead on arrival” in the Senate — especially after Sen. Susan Collins said she would vote “no.” Elsewhere, a Florida lawmaker introduced a bill similar to the restrictive Texas law. And abortion news is also reported from California and Arizona.
The New York Times:
With Roe Under Threat, House Plans To Vote On Bill To Counter Abortion Curbs
House Democrats plan on Friday to push through broad legislation to uphold abortion rights, taking urgent action after a major Supreme Court setback as they brace for a ruling next year that could further roll back access to abortion nationwide. The House vote will be largely symbolic given that the bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, has little chance of advancing because of Republican opposition in the Senate. But House Democrats’ decision to consider it reflects their view that the issue could resonate strongly in the midterm elections next year, particularly if female voters see the Supreme Court action as a threat to rights that many believed had been long settled. (Hulse, 9/23)
KHN:
Democrats Roll The Dice On Sweeping Abortion Rights Bill — Again
A newly conservative Supreme Court agreed to hear a case most assumed it would use to overrule the 1973 landmark abortion-rights ruling, Roe v. Wade. And Democrats on Capitol Hill, convinced the issue would play to their political favor, vowed to bring up legislation that would write abortion protections into federal law. “We’ll debate it. We’ll vote on it. And we’ll pass it,” the Senate Democratic leader promised. Sound familiar? The year was 1992. The Supreme Court case in question was Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. After the court surprised almost everyone by upholding the right to abortion, the legislation, called the “Freedom of Choice Act,” never reached the floor of the Senate, nor the House. (Click on the hyperlink to go back in time.) (Rovner, 9/23)
Forbes:
Sen. Susan Collins Says She Won’t Back Abortion Rights Bill, Likely Dooming Its Chances Of Passing
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) will not support a bill that would protect the legal right to an abortion, she told the Los Angeles Times, likely killing Democrats’ hope of using the legislation to block Texas’ near-total abortion ban and other state restrictions. Collins told the Times on Tuesday she opposes the Women’s Health Protection Act because it goes “way beyond” enshrining the right to an abortion in federal law and she finds its language “extreme.” (Durkee, 9/22)
Newsweek:
Lauren Boebert Says Rape Victims Need Guns Rather Than Access To Abortion
Rep. Lauren Boebert has suggested that rape victims need guns to protect themselves rather than access to abortions. Speaking on the House floor, the Republican congresswoman from Colorado criticized Democrats who are planning to vote on legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that protects the right to choose to have an abortion. She also claimed that the procedures were not safe for women. (Palmer, 9/23)
A Florida lawmaker wants to ban most abortions in the state —
CNN:
Restrictive Abortion Bill Introduced In Florida Mirrors Controversial Texas Law
A Republican Florida state lawmaker on Wednesday introduced a bill that is modeled after a strict Texas law prohibiting abortions after six weeks, drawing condemnation from supporters of abortion rights who fear such legislation might soon be introduced in other states. House Bill 167 was filed by Florida state Rep. Webster Barnaby. The bill, like the Texas law, contains a procedural feature that allows private citizens to bring lawsuits against physicians who provide abortions after six weeks as well as any person who “knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.” The Florida legislation, like the Texas law, also provides for remedies and damages. (Cole and de Vogue, 9/22)
California approves privacy laws for abortion providers —
AP:
California Governor Signs Privacy Laws For Abortion Patients
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws on Wednesday that aim to protect the privacy of abortion providers and their patients, declaring California to be a “reproductive freedom state” while drawing a sharp contrast with Texas and its efforts to limit the procedure. One law makes it a crime to film people within 100 feet (30 meters) of an abortion clinic for the purpose of intimidation — a law abortion rights groups believe to be the first of its kind in the country. The other law makes it easier for people on their parents’ insurance plans to keep sensitive medical information secret, including abortions. (Beam, 9/22)
Arizona’s abortion law is scrutinized —
AP:
Judge Considers Request To Block Arizona Abortion Law
A lawyer for several Arizona abortion providers urged a federal judge Wednesday to block a new state law that would allow prosecutors to charge doctors who knowingly terminate a pregnancy solely because the fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. The law, set to take effect on Wednesday, is so vague that it would dissuade doctors from performing an abortion anytime there’s an indication that the fetus might have a genetic problem for fear of criminal prosecution, argued Emily Nestler, senior counsel at the Center for Reproductive Rights. (Cooper, 9/23)
Arizona Republic:
Does Arizona Law Act As A Ban On Abortion? Judge Weighs Request To Block Its Implementation
Groups seeking to overturn part of Arizona’s newest law restricting abortion took their case before a federal judge on Wednesday, just one week before doctors who perform the procedure could face criminal penalties including prison time in certain circumstances. The measure — passed by the Republican-majority Legislature and signed by Gov. Doug Ducey in April — makes it a crime for medical providers to terminate a pregnancy based on genetic conditions such as Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis. (Barchenger, 9/22)
Texas Women Seeking Abortions In Neighboring State Clinics
The new Texas abortion restriction that bans the procedure after 6 weeks — before most women even know they are pregnant — is driving some patients to travel to Louisiana, Oklahoma and other states. Other fallout from the restrictive law include a new crop of bounty hunters, threats against lawmakers and private-sector objections.
The Wall Street Journal:
Texas Abortion Law Prompts Women To Seek Out-Of-State Clinics
Women’s health clinics in Louisiana, Oklahoma and beyond are reporting an influx of out-of-state patients from Texas looking for abortions and other services, weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed Texas’s restrictive abortion law to take effect. Some clinics in neighboring states said they are overwhelmed with out-of-state patients. They are adding hours to try to handle the backlog, administrators said. In Texas, meanwhile, clinics are turning most of their patients away and losing their staff. (Findell, 9/22)
KOKH:
Oklahoma Abortion Clinics Flooded With Texas Patients Amid New State Law
A new Texas law banning most abortions is already causing a surge of women to start seeking care out-of-state. “Calls that we’re taking are up about tenfold,” said Zack Gingrich-Gaylord with Trust Women, one of just three abortion clinics in Oklahoma. Gingrich-Gaylord says Texas woman are flooding their phone lines as clinics in their state are being forced to turn patients away. (Pryor, 9/22)
Vox:
What It’s Like To Seek An Abortion In Texas After SB 8 Was Passed Into Law
One Texas patient who was taking birth control had no idea she was pregnant until it was too late. Others came in for their state-mandated ultrasounds but had their abortion appointments delayed by Tropical Storm Nicholas. They, just like the first patient, will now have to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles in order to end their pregnancies — if they can get together the money, time off work, and child care necessary to do so. This is what it looks like to try to get an abortion in Texas since the passage of SB 8, a law that bans nearly all abortions after six weeks, before many people know they are pregnant. For the few patients who do realize it in time, it’s a race against the clock to schedule an appointment and get the money for the procedure — which costs an average of about $500 and typically isn’t covered by insurance. “There’s a sense of urgency that’s causing a devastation among our callers,” said Shae Ward, hotline program coordinator at the Lilith Fund, which funds abortions in Texas. “They just are like, ‘If it’s not done by then, I don’t know what I’m gonna do.’” (North, 9/21)
Rolling Stone:
Texas Abortion Law Attracts Bizarre First Crop Of Bounty Seekers
What do these three people have in common: a disbarred Arkansas attorney under federal house arrest for tax evasion; another disbarred attorney, this one from Illinois, who lost his license for harassing and threatening other lawyers; and an attempted fire bomber from Kansas who served time in federal prison for conspiracy? Here’s the answer: All three of them have heeded Texas’s call for legal anarchy and filed complaints against a San Antonio abortion provider for violating SB8, the state’s ban on post-6 week abortions.This is a circus of Texas’s own making. To briefly recap, earlier this year Texas passed a one-of-a-kind law that bans abortions after 6 weeks and allows anyone anywhere to sue an abortion provider who violates the law. The 6-week ban isn’t novel. Other states have passed similar bans, and they have all been stopped by courts because they are blatantly unconstitutional. The original part of the Texas law is the provision that bars the state from enforcing the law and instead allows anyone to sue for a violation of the law. It is this unique aspect of the law that has so far made it very difficult to stop in court. (Cohen, 9/22)
The Texas Tribune:
“Credible Threat” Made Against Texas Lawmakers Who Voted For Abortion Ban
Law enforcement on Tuesday evening alerted members of the Texas Legislature about “a credible threat” to their safety, citing that the concern was targeted at members who voted for the new six-week abortion ban passed by lawmakers earlier this year. (Pollock, 9/22)
The Hill:
More Than 50 Companies Sign Letter Opposing Texas Abortion Law
More than 50 companies signed a letter this week saying that Texas’ abortion ban threatens the health and economic stability of their workers and customers. Companies including Yelp, Lyft, VICE Media Group, Ben & Jerry’s and Reddit said Texas recently-enacted abortion law, which bans abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected — usually around six weeks — goes against their company values. (Choi, 9/22)
CNN:
David Simon Will Pull Upcoming HBO Series From Texas Over Abortion Law
“The Wire” creator David Simon won’t be filming an upcoming HBO series in Texas due to a controversial abortion law passed in the state, he announced on Twitter. “As an employer, this is beyond politics,” Simon wrote. “I’m turning in scripts next month on an HBO non-fiction miniseries based on events in Texas, but I can’t and won’t ask female cast/crew to forgo civil liberties to film there. What else looks like Dallas/Ft. Worth?” (Garvey, 9/22)
In related news about abortion —
The New York Times:
Abortion Rights: OkCupid Features “Pro-Choice” Badge
The dating service OkCupid has introduced a way for users to clearly indicate their support of abortion rights: a “pro-choice” badge that appears prominently in a dating profile. Melissa Hobley, OkCupid’s chief marketing officer, said the feature was created in response to the passage of Senate Bill 8, which has made abortion essentially illegal in Texas. (OkCupid’s parent company, Match Group, is headquartered in Dallas.) (Safronova, 9/20)
The Cut:
Uma Thurman Reflects on Having An Abortion As a Teen
Actor Uma Thurman has been following the fallout from the most recent attempt to gut abortion access in Texas, and she is filled with — in her own words — “great sadness, and something akin to horror.” On Tuesday, Thurman published an op-ed in the Washington Post, documenting her own abortion experience “in the hope of drawing the flames of controversy away from the vulnerable women on whom this law will have an immediate effect” and “stand[ing] up in their shoes.” “The abortion I had as a teenager was the hardest decision of my life, one that caused me anguish then and that saddens me even now,” she writes, “but it was the path to the life full of joy and love that I have experienced.” She added: “Choosing not to keep that early pregnancy allowed me to grow up and become the mother I wanted and needed to be.” (Lampen, 9/22)
