Home WebMail Friday, November 1, 2024, 08:15 PM | Calgary | -1.7°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Posted: 2021-09-02T16:02:13Z | Updated: 2021-09-07T16:56:29Z

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that she plans to bring up legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision that protects the right to choose to have an abortion, as soon as the House returns from recess this month.

Upon our return, the House will bring up Congresswoman Judy Chus Womens Health Protection Act to enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America, Pelosi said in a statement.

Her announcement comes a day after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed an extreme Texas law to go into effect that prohibits abortion at six weeks and deputizes citizens to enforce the ban.

The House speaker railed against the Supreme Courts decision, saying its cowardly, dark-of-night decision to let the Texas law take effect delivers catastrophe to women in Texas, particularly women of color and women from low-income communities.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Every woman, everywhere has the constitutional right to basic health care. SB8 is the most extreme, dangerous abortion ban in half a century, and its purpose is to destroy Roe v. Wade, and even refuses to make exceptions for cases of rape and incest, Pelosi said. This ban necessitates codifying Roe v. Wade.

The House is currently scheduled to come back into session on Sept. 20.

The Womens Health Protection Act likely has the votes to pass the House, but it would almost certainly hit a wall in the Senate. Legislation needs 60 votes to advance in the Senate because of the filibuster rule, and there are only 50 senators in the Democratic caucus. There are two pro-choice Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), but that still doesnt get Democrats to 60.