WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling today to protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) released the following statement:

“Today, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that women – not politicians – should be able to make decisions about their own health care. Despite today’s victory, our fight to protect women’s reproductive health rights isn’t finished. More states, including Ohio, are moving to strip all federal funding for health care facilities like Planned Parenthood and make it harder for Ohioans to get life-saving cancer screenings, HIV/AIDS prevention and contraception education. We must continue fighting to ensure that women and men who rely on these critical services get the health care they need.”

The case challenged Texas’ so-called “trap laws” – unnecessary restriction designed to shut down clinics like Planned Parenthood. The Supreme Court struck down provisions of Texas law that required clinics that provide abortions to have admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles and to have facilities comparable to an outpatient surgical center. Brown, along with more than 160 of his congressional colleagues, signed on to an amicus brief in support of Whole Woman’s Health.

Brown has supported numerous efforts to safeguard an individual’s ability to make her own reproductive health decisions and protect access a safe, legal abortion. Last year, he helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would provide federal protections against state laws that attempt to intrude upon women’s personal decisions and their ability to receive essential health care.

 

###