Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 8296 - Women's Health Protection Act of 2022

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House Rules)
(Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, and three cosponsors)

The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022.

In Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the Supreme Court has taken away a constitutional right from the American people that it had already recognized. By overturning Roe v. Wade—the landmark case that protected women's right to choose for nearly half a century—the Court upended the scales of justice and eliminated a fundamental right for women in this country.

The consequences of this decision are real and immediate. Extreme state laws banning abortion have gone into effect around the country, some without exceptions even for rape or incest, jeopardizing the health of millions of women and disproportionately impacting women of color, low-income women, and women in rural communities. These laws are so extreme that women could be punished for protecting their health and doctors criminalized for fulfilling their duty of care.

The urgency to protect women's health, their fundamental right to control their reproductive choices, and the freedom of all people to build their own future has never been greater. The Court has made it clear that it will not protect the rights of women. Congress must act. Only Congress can safeguard the fundamental right to reproductive choice.

It is therefore imperative for Congress to adopt statutory protections for women's access to essential health care services, including reproductive health care, regardless of where they live. Congress must further act to protect health care providers' ability to provide such critical services free from unwarranted and inappropriate restrictions, and to eliminate unjustified burdens on commerce that prevent women and their families from participating fully and equally in the economic and social life of the United States.

The protections that the Women's Health Protection Act would ensure are essential to the health, safety, and progress of our nation.

Congress should advance this important bill with the utmost urgency this moment demands. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress throughout the legislative process to ensure that this bill is consistent with the protections established by Roe. The President stands ready to sign the Women's Health Protection Act into law.