Sen. Murray promotes 'Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act'
Washington Senator Patty Murray is calling on Congress to pass a measure that would provide federal protections for those seeking abortions, now that it is no longer a constitutionally protected right.
"Banning abortion doesn't stop abortions," Murray said. "It just stops people from getting safe abortions. It doesn't take an expert to understand this is only going to get worse because of the dangerous abortion bans. Women will be denied the care they need, the care their doctors know could save their lives."
The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act would protect a person's right to cross state lines for reproductive health care. It would also invalidate any state laws that go against those protections.
Sen. Murray says bans are especially hard on women of color, those with disabilities, and people who live in rural areas.
She also wants senators to waive the filibuster, and codify abortion rights into federal law.
As of Thursday afternoon, Republicans in the Senate were blocking the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act.
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John O'Brien
Producer
John O’Brien is a KUOW newsroom producer. He works with the Morning Edition and All Things Considered teams to schedule, record, and edit interviews and stories on a variety of topics, from politics and public health to arts and culture. He learned to make radio in 2006 as an intern on KUOW’s The Conversation and is a former host of KUOW's Speakers Forum.
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