Rep. Cárdenas on Supreme Court’s Ruling in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) today praised the Supreme Court’s 5-3 decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt as a major victory for women’s health and a woman’s right to choose.

“Today’s momentous Supreme Court decision has given power back to women in Texas and all across the country. I applaud the Supreme Court for standing on the right side of history by rejecting the absurd premise that women can’t make their own health decisions. The laws struck down today are unconstitutional and arrogant. And to be clear, they are a veiled attempt to obstruct women’s rights and take away their right to consult with a doctor and make their own personal decisions. 

“Our job as legislators is to create policies that empower individuals, regardless of their gender, religion, or ethnicity. The Texas legislature placed additional obstacles in the path of women who seek help and care. Not only did the Texas law alienate women, particularly in low-income areas, it failed to provide a single medical example of how these laws would help women. The burden is undue.

“Today is a day to celebrate, as the Supreme Court reaffirms what we should already know as a nation: men and women have the ability and constitutional right to make their own health decisions, and government bodies cannot stand between a woman and her doctor. I proudly stand up, today and every day, for the right of every woman to live her life and make her own choices.”

 

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