On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey, leaving abortion rights up to the states. As a result of these laws and the Supreme Court’s decision, patients and providers risk criminalization, hundreds of clinics have been forced to close, providers are denied the ability to provide necessary medical procedures, and patients are unable to obtain the health care services they need.  As of now, 17 states have already banned abortions and more plan to do so. 

The Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R. 12/S. 701), would put a stop to the coordinated attacks on reproductive freedom by establishing a statutory right for health care providers to provide, and their patients to receive, abortion services free of restrictions and bans that delay or obstruct access to care. Urge Congress to support the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA).

Background

Since 2011, state legislatures have enacted more laws restricting abortion access than in the entire preceding decade. These restrictions and bans have rendered abortion inaccessible, unaffordable, and out of reach for millions of Americans.

Through targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws, gestational bans, waiting periods that effectively require patients to make two separate trips to the clinic, and more, state governments are interfering with the ability to access abortion care on an unprecedented level.

In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey—the decisions that affirmed that everyone has autonomy over their bodies and has the right to decide whether they want to continue a pregnancy—and the fundamental right to live with autonomy, dignity, and equality. This decision has and will cause irreparable harm to Americans. Overturning Roe means 26 states are likely to ban or severely restrict abortion. Even before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban at issue in Dobbs, many states already had severe restrictions in place.

Congress has the power to reinstate the federal protections outlined in Roe, nullifying state bans and restrictions on abortion. On September 24, 2021, the House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act and passed it for a second time on July 15, 2022. It was reintroduced in both chambers of the 118th Congress in March 2023. The Women’s Health Protection Act would put a stop to the coordinated attacks on reproductive freedom by establishing a statutory right for health care providers to provide, and their patients to receive, abortion services free of restrictions and bans that delay or obstruct access to care.

The Women’s Health Protection Act takes crucial steps towards restoring access to abortion by creating federal protections against state restrictions such as TRAP laws and pre-viability gestational bans on the basis that such restrictions fail to protect reproductive health and intrude upon personal decision-making and moral agency.

Urge Congress to help protect abortion access from medically unnecessary bans and restrictions.

Jewish Values

Our Jewish tradition teaches that providing health care is not just an obligation for the patient and the doctor, but for all of society. It is for this reason that Maimonides listed health care first on his list of the ten most important communal services that a city has to offer to its residents (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot IV: 23).

Further, the rabbis tell us that a physician’s job is to heal, and if they withhold medical care, it is as if they have shed blood. “The Torah has granted the physician permission to heal, and it is a religious duty which comes under the rule of saving an endangered life. If he withholds treatment, he is regarded as one who sheds blood.” (Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah 336:1).

Regressive state laws that prevent physicians and other providers from providing health care is in direct opposition to this sacred duty.

Take action by urging your members of Congress to support the Women’s Health Protection Act.

For More Information: For more information on reproductive rights, visit the RAC’s reproductive rights page on our website or contact Eisendrath Legislative Assistant Rachel Landis.

Please note that a small number of Capitol Hill offices impose a strict character limit for incoming constituent emails. If you receive an error notification that your message is too long or cannot be sent, please manually shorten the message. This character limit is not controlled by the Religious Action Center or VoterVoice platform. 

By submitting this form, you are agreeing to receive emails from the RAC and URJ. You can manage your preferences at any time.