Since the Supreme Court determined in 1974 that abortion is constitutionally protected there has been a continued campaign to ban or severely limit access to safe abortion services. In 2021 there were more of these laws passed by states than any other year since 1973. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization another direct challenge to Roe V. Wade and abortion access in the United States.

These ongoing battles call for a faithful and strong response affirming an individual’s self-determination for their own body. Historically economically marginalized populations including Black communities, people of color and low income communities are placed in greater harm because they have diminished access to reproductive healthcare.

The United Church of Christ General Synod has over the past 40 years affirmed an individual’s agency to follow their personal religious and moral convictions in consultation with their family and medical care team about whether or not to complete or terminate a pregnancy. It has also lifted up the importance of ensuring full access to the full range of reproductive health care services regardless of economic circumstances.

In order to directly address these challenges Congress needs to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act which bars state and local abortion restrictions. The Women’s Health Protection Act is a critically needed bill that will enact protections on the federal level to safeguard access to high-quality care and to secure constitutional rights by protecting patients and providers from political or religious interference. It would bar state and federal legislation that imposes medically unnecessary regulations on access to abortion services including medication, mandatory waiting periods, or out and out abortion bans.

As a justice-seeking people, we must remain committed to preserving and protecting access to the full range of reproductive health care for all – including safe, legal abortion – is an imperative rooted in our deeply-held faith beliefs in social justice, moral agency, and religious liberty for all. Please contact your member of Congress to support passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act.