Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1696592532467.pdf (United States)
May 10, 2022 The Honorable Charles E. Schumer Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Majority Leader Schumer, We write today with renewed urgency regarding the filibuster and the ability of the 117th Congress to work toward a future where all of us are free to make personal decisions, without political interference.

When Roe v. Wade was decided almost fifty years ago, the courts made it unequivocally clear that access to safe and legal abortion is a constitutional right.
This decision has given people safer access to abortion services and contraception, and has helped make America a beacon of hope.

However, after decades of attacks on abortion rights, the recent draft opinion by the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade not only endangers millions of people and families – it also shows us that we can no longer rely on the courts to protect these fundamental rights.
We must codify the right to abortion access through federal legislation, and we cannot allow the filibuster to stand in the way.

A majority of voters believe that everyone should have access to the full range of reproductive health care, including annual screenings, birth control, pregnancy tests, and abortion services - regardless of where they live.
1 But hundreds of state-level laws restricting and banning abortion services have made it extremely difficult for many people, despite constitutional protections.
In 2021, anti-abortion lawmakers introduced over 500 restrictive laws in 44 state legislatures that make abortion difficult and, sometimes, impossible to access.2 These policies are in direct conflict with major medical associations, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association, who affirm that abortion is essential health care that should not be burdened by medically unnecessary restrictions that harm patients.3 If Roe v. Wade is overturned, we know that the ensuing laws will not affect Americans equitably.
Like so many times in America’s past, they will disproportionately harm low-income people and people of color, who already face barriers to healthcare.
Research shows that being denied an abortion has serious consequences for a woman’s health, well-being, and financial security; women denied abortion care are at increased risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, health problems, poverty, and ongoing financial 1 https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/poll-finding/kff-poll-public-opinion-and-knowledge-on- reproductive-health-policy/ 2 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/report-details-wave-state-legislative-attempts-restrict- abortion-2021-n1262070 3 https://www.ama-assn.org/about/leadership/unconstitutional-attack-reproductive-health-must-not-stand; https://www.acog.org/clinical-information/policy-and-position-statements/position-statements/2018/ restrictions-to-comprehensive-reproductive-health-care#:~:text=ACOG%20recognizes%20that%20access %20to,jeopardize%20women's%20health%20and%20safety.
distress, including rising debt and eviction proceedings.4 The elimination of abortion restrictions is essential to the pursuit of reproductive, economic, and racial justice.

When voters gave Democrats control of the House, Senate, and the White House, they did so with the expectation that we would legislate boldly and do what is necessary to advance our fight for justice and economic prosperity.

Now more than ever it is the time to deliver on our promises.
We applaud you for your commitment to bring the Women’s Health Protection Act to the Senate floor for a vote again.

However, we are not naive to the fact that the filibuster’s 60 vote requirement will continue to stall this paramount legislation - just as it has stalled the path forward in the fight for voting rights, climate and environmental justice, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, worker protections, LGBTQ equality, and criminal justice reform.
The Senate must meet the moment, end the filibuster, and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act immediately.

This is not the first time many in Congress have called for the elimination of the filibuster, but each day that we allow this tool to remain in place, we see the catastrophic threat it presents to our constituents, our families, and our friends.
Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned.5 As we wait for the final decision from the Supreme Court of the United States, it is time for Congress to protect abortion rights and access with the Women’s Health Protection Act.
Passing this legislation is a critical step toward creating a world where every person - regardless of who they are or where they are from - is free to make the best health care decisions for themselves, their families, and their lives.

We must legislate towards a better, more just America, and that requires us to do what is necessary to deliver for the communities that we represent.
Thank you for your leadership during this critical moment for our country, and we look forward to continued partnership in our work for the people.
Sincerely, Sean Casten Member of Congress Cori Bush Member of Congress 4 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/lifelong-consequences-what-happens-people-who-can- t-get-abortions-n1278838https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/lifelong-consequences-what- happens-people-who-can-t-get-abortions-n1278838 5 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/03/statement-by-president-joe- biden-4/ Judy Chu Member of Congress Barbara Lee Co-Chair, Pro- Choice Caucus Member of Congress Diana DeGette Member of Congress Jason Crow Member of Congress Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.
Member of Congress Pete Aguilar Member of Congress Jake Auchincloss Member of Congress Nanette Diaz Barragán Member of Congress Karen Bass Member of Congress Donald S. Beyer Jr.

Member of Congress Earl Blumenauer Member of Congress Suzanne Bonamici Member of Congress Carolyn Bourdeaux Member of Congress Jamaal Bowman, Ed.D.
Member of Congress Brendan F. Boyle Member of Congress Anthony G. Brown Member of Congress Salud Carbajal Member of Congress Tony Cárdenas Member of Congress André Carson Member of Congress Troy Carter Member of Congress Joaquin Castro Member of Congress Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Member of Congress David N. Cicilline Member of Congress Yvette D. Clarke Member of Congress Katherine M. Clark Member of Congress Emanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress Steve Cohen Member of Congress Gerald E. Connolly Member of Congress Jim Cooper Member of Congress Danny K. Davis Member of Congress Madeleine Dean Member of Congress Peter A. DeFazio Member of Congress Suzan K. DelBene Member of Congress Mark DeSaulnier Member of Congress Lloyd Doggett Member of Congress Anna G. Eshoo Member of Congress Adriano Espaillat Member of Congress Dwight Evans Member of Congress Lois Frankel Member of Congress Ruben Gallego Member of Congress John Garamendi Member of Congress Jesús G. "Chuy" García Member of Congress Jimmy Gomez Member of Congress Al Green Member of Congress Raúl M. Grijalva Member of Congress Jim Himes Member of Congress Sara Jacobs Member of Congress Pramila Jayapal Member of Congress Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.
Member of Congress Mondaire Jones Member of Congress Kaiali'i Kahele Member of Congress Ro Khanna Member of Congress Derek Kilmer Member of Congress Andy Kim Member of Congress Raja Krishnamoorthi Member of Congress Rick Larsen Member of Congress John B. Larson Member of Congress Brenda L. Lawrence Member of Congress Andy Levin Member of Congress Mike Levin Member of Congress Ted W. Lieu Member of Congress Alan Lowenthal Member of Congress Carolyn B. Maloney Member of Congress Kathy Manning Member of Congress Betty McCollum Member of Congress A. Donald McEachin Member of Congress James P. McGovern Member of Congress Jerry McNerney Member of Congress Grace Meng Member of Congress Gwen S. Moore Member of Congress Seth Moulton Member of Congress Jerrold Nadler Member of Congress Joe Neguse Member of Congress Marie Newman Member of Congress Eleanor Holmes Norton Member of Congress Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Member of Congress Ilhan Omar Member of Congress Donald M. Payne, Jr.
Member of Congress Ed Perlmutter Member of Congress Dean Phillips Member of Congress Chellie Pingree Member of Congress Mark Pocan Member of Congress Katie Porter Member of Congress Ayanna Pressley Member of Congress David E. Price Member of Congress Mike Quigley Member of Congress Jamie Raskin Member of Congress Deborah K. Ross Member of Congress Tim Ryan Member of Congress John P. Sarbanes Member of Congress Mary Gay Scanlon Member of Congress Jan Schakowsky Member of Congress David Scott Member of Congress Terri A. Sewell Member of Congress Albio Sires Member of Congress Adam Smith Member of Congress Darren Soto Member of Congress Haley M. Stevens Member of Congress Marilyn Strickland Member of Congress Eric Swalwell Member of Congress Mark Takano Member of Congress Dina Titus Member of Congress Rashida Tlaib Member of Congress Paul Tonko Member of Congress Ritchie Torres Member of Congress Lori Trahan Member of Congress Nydia M. Velázquez Member of Congress Debbie Wasserman Schultz Member of Congress Bonnie Watson Coleman Member of Congress Peter Welch Member of Congress Nikema Williams Member of Congress Frederica S. Wilson Member of Congress John Yarmuth Member of Congress