Reps. Foster, Newman vote to codify abortion rights in the U.S.

U.S. Reps. Bill Foster and Marie Newman voted for a bill aiming to protect abortion rights throughout the entire country as some state have passed laws restricting the procedure.

The Democratic members of the House of Representatives backed the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would secures the right to abortion, according to a news release. The law would uphold the 1973 Supreme Court ruling Roe v. Wade which legalized abortion in the U.S.

“As radical lawmakers across the nation wage an all-out assault against reproductive rights, I proudly voted to defend every woman’s basic health freedoms,” Foster, D-Naperville, said in a statement. “In Illinois, we’ve guaranteed the right to abortion care under state law, protecting it even if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned by a far-right Supreme Court.”

Newman, D-La Grange, said in an email to supporters she proudly voted for the bill to codify Roe v. Wade and “fight back against the draconian laws” passed in states like Texas. She described the push to restrict abortion access as “a four-alarm fire for reproductive rights.”

“I will never apologize for being 100% pro-choice,” Newman wrote. “I trust women. Period.”

Newman won her 2020 primary election against then-incumbent Rep. Dan Lipinski at least in part because of his anti-abortion stance in a heavily Democratic congressional district.

The House of Representatives passed the bill last week, though it’s unlikely to pass the Senate which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.