Catholics for Choice Applauds Historic Senate Abortion Vote as Continued Progress Remains Essential
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 28, 2022
Contact: John Becker, Press Secretary
Phone: (202) 203-0931
Email: jbecker@catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics for Choice Applauds Historic Senate Abortion Vote as Continued Progress Remains Essential
WASHINGTON – Catholics for Choice, which uplifts and amplifies the voices of the majority of Catholics who believe in reproductive freedom, applauded Senate leadership on today’s cloture vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), a critical bill to guarantee providers the right to deliver, and people the right to receive, abortion care – free from medically unnecessary limitations and political interference. While the motion did not achieve the 60 votes necessary to proceed, it marked the Senate’s first standalone vote on proactive abortion rights legislation in decades.
Here is a statement from Catholics for Choice President Jamie L. Manson:
“For the 68% of U.S. Catholics who support the legal abortion protections in Roe v. Wade, today’s vote is an important amplification of our Catholic social justice values. We thank the 46 members of the Senate, including 13 Catholics like Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bob Casey (D-PA), who voted to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act.
“But even as we commend those who voted on the right side of history today, the Women’s Health Protection Act did not advance, underscoring just how much work remains to be done. Too many in Congress still choose to listen to anti-choice extremists rather than the will of the American people, and to perpetuate the harm inflicted by restrictions on abortion care.
“As Catholics, we believe that healthcare is a human right – and that includes abortion care. But this constitutionally-protected right has already been reduced or even eliminated in large segments of the nation. As Catholics, we are also called to center the lives of the people most marginalized in society, which includes the people most harmed by abortion restrictions: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; those working to make ends meet; members of the LGBTQI+ community; immigrants; young people; those living in rural communities; and people with disabilities.
“We are mindful that if the filibuster were eliminated, WHPA would very possibly be sent to President Biden’s desk today. With the Supreme Court poised to undermine Roe v. Wade this year, it’s more important than ever that Congress act to protect the rights of women and pregnant people. Compelled by our faithfully-formed consciences and guided by our Catholic values, Catholics for Choice will not stop until our elected officials do just that.”
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person’s well-being and respect, and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.