“I am proud to say that NCJW is renewing its support for the proposed Women’s Health Protection Act, and we applaud Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) for their leadership in reintroducing this bill. From 2011-2016, states enacted over 350 new restrictions on abortion, pushing safe, legal care out of reach. Such sham laws single out abortion care for regulations that apply to no other similar medical practice and, varying by state, they unjustly make a woman’s ability to end a pregnancy more and more dependent on where she lives. The Women’s Health Protection Act would end this political interference in a woman’s personal decisions, ensuring access remains available no matter her zip code.



“NCJW is proud to be part of the Act for Women coalition — a national campaign that unites organizations and individuals in support of the Women’s Health Protection Act. As a faith-based organization, NCJW strongly supports the ability of every woman to make her own faith-informed decisions about her body, health, and future. And we note that such restrictions most harm women struggling to make ends meet, women of color, immigrant women, and young people. As Jews, we cannot stand by while anyone’s health or moral autonomy is undermined.

“The Women’s Health Protection Act would overturn state restrictions aimed at limiting access to abortion care. Among such restrictions are mandatory waiting periods, which can increase the cost of obtaining safe care, medically unnecessary tests and procedures, and mandates requiring doctors to adhere to outdated, less effective medical regimens. While the US Supreme Court 2016 ruling in Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt ended clinic shutdown laws, preserving access to safe abortion for millions of women in Texas, politicians across the country continue to advance a dangerous agenda to make safe care more difficult to access causing sharp disparities nationwide. The Women’s Health Protection Act would protect a woman’s health, her ability to make her own decisions, and her constitutional rights regardless of her zip code. It’s time for Congress to act for women by advancing this urgently needed bill.” 


###