July 5 (UPI) — The largest nurses’ union in the United States sent a letter to senators Tuesday, calling on them to pass a law to codify the federal right to an abortion.
The plea comes less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that federally protected the right to abortion for nearly five decades.
The National Nurses United union urged senators to “urgently” pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify the abortion protections granted by Roe vs. Wade into law. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the legislation in September, the same month the House passed it.
The WHPA would protect a person’s ability to decide to continue or end a pregnancy. Republicans argue that the bill will limit a state’s ability to regulate or restrict abortions.
“As members of a healthcare profession that is 90% female, nurses understand that abortion is an essential part of healthcare, and that a patient’s right to control their own body is at the very basis of a free and just society,” the NNU letter read.
“The U.S. Senate has a solemn obligation to take immediate action to restore these rights and benefits by passing the WHPA. Lives hang in the balance.”
The union said it also support’s President Joe Biden’s desire for the Senate to end the use of the filibuster to allow a simple majority vote to pass the WHPA.
“The filibuster is an archaic and anti-democratic Senate rule, and it should not stand in the way of restoring women’s reproductive health rights,” the letter read.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.