U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Stands up to Attacks on Women’s Freedoms, Introduces the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined her colleagues Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and U.S. Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA-27), Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11), and Lois Frankel (D-FL-22) to introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013, legislation that will protect the constitutional, reproductive rights of women to make their own, private health decisions.
 
“In Wisconsin and in states across the country, politicians have been standing between women and their doctors, restricting the choices women can make regarding their own reproductive health,” said Baldwin. “They are doing this because they think they know better than women and their doctors. I am proud to stand up to these attacks on women’s freedoms and introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act.  Every American woman deserves access to quality, safe health care and the ability to exercise her individual and constitutional rights to make her own, private health decisions.”
 
The Women’s Health Protection Act would protect a woman’s right to safe and legal reproductive health services by stopping restrictive regulations and laws - such as those in place in states including Texas and Wisconsin - intended to curtail reproductive health services for women. This legislation would prohibit laws that impose burdensome requirements on access to reproductive health services such as requiring doctors to perform tests and procedures that doctors have deemed unnecessary or preventing doctors from prescribing and dispensing medication as is medically appropriate. Other examples of laws that make it more difficult for a woman to access reproductive health services include requirements concerning the physical layout of clinics and forced waiting periods for patients. The Women’s Health Protection Act has 27 cosponsors in the Senate and 52 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.
 
In Wisconsin, the Women’s Health Protection Act is supported by American Association of University Women of Wisconsin, Family Planning Health Services, Inc., Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health, Wisconsin Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, and the Wisconsin Women's Network.
 
“Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin knows that women are more than capable of making their own personal, medical decisions without consulting their legislator.  Everyone deserves the freedom to plan their own families, make their own health care decisions and access essential, affordable health care. We applaud Senator Baldwin’s leadership on this important bill and for caring more about women than about politics.” - Nicole Safar, Public Policy Director, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
 
"Women deserve access to affordable, comprehensive health care and services when they need it.  It's time to trust women and allow them to make their personal health care decisions with their trusted health professional without political interference. The Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health applauds the introduction of the Women's Health Protection Act and supports these and all efforts to ensure every woman has the access to the comprehensive health care she needs and deserves." - Sara Finger, Executive Director, Wisconsin Alliance for Women's Health
 
“Women in Wisconsin know first-hand the devastating impact of being subjected to a barrage of harmful and unnecessary legislative restrictions that make it progressively impossible to access essential reproductive health care services. It is clear that we need federal protection from these unwarranted intrusions into our personal health care decisions.  We are grateful to Senator Baldwin for recognizing this unprecedented state-by-state legislative offensive and taking action to provide that needed protection through introduction of the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2013.” -  Eve Galanter, Chair, Wisconsin Women's Network
 
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