West DSM News

U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne shared on Monday that she co-sponsored and voted in favor of the Women's Health Protection Act, which was recently passed by the House. 

Axne's statements follow the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which gave American women the right to a safe and legal abortion back in 1973. 

"This weekend marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade," Axne said in a tweet Jan. 24. "The right to choose has been on the books for half a century, but still reproductive freedoms are under attack. That's why I voted to codify #Roe with the Women's Health Protection Act. The Senate must act on the #WHPA."

Under the Women's Health Protection Act, a person will be federally able to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and will also protect a health care provider’s ability to provide abortion services, according to the language of the measure. It will also prohibit governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services.

In 2021, the Women's Health Protection Act was passed on a 218-211 vote by the House of Representatives, but it still needs to be passed by the U.S. Senate to become an official piece of legislation. 

Following the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett in 2020, the persistence of Roe v. Wade has been an object of concern for both Democrats and Republicans. Many red states have already moved forward with abortion banning or limiting legislation on a state level that could make its way to Roe v. Wade. 

Alongside Axne, the Women's Health Protection Act was sponsored by Reps. Judy Chu (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX), and Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).