The White House has come out forcefully against a new Oklahoma law that amounts to a near-total abortion ban and called for federal legislation to legalize the procedure nationwide.
The bill, SB 612, bans abortion at all stages, except for cases in which the mother’s life is at risk, and does not make exceptions for cases of rape and incest. Abortion providers who violate the new law are subject to a fine of up to $100,000 and 10 years in prison. It’s part of a disturbing national trend, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
OKLAHOMA GOV. STITT SIGNS NEAR-TOTAL ABORTION BAN INTO LAW
“This unconstitutional attack on women’s rights is just the latest and one of the most extreme state laws signed into law to date,” the statement says. “Protecting the right recognized in Roe v. Wade continues to be a priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, and we call on Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would shut down these attacks and codify this long-recognized, constitutional right.”
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, said the bill makes it clear that we “choose life in Oklahoma. We don’t want to allow abortions in the state of Oklahoma right now.”
Stitt added that he and state Attorney General John O’Connor “know this bill will be challenged immediately by liberal activists from the coast who always seem to want to come in and dictate a mandate and challenge our way of life here in the state of Oklahoma.”
The bill’s implementation depends on a case that will come before the Supreme Court in June. It could either uphold or weaken the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. In the case in question, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court is expected to decide whether to uphold a 2018 Mississippi law effectively banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The Women’s Health Protection Act would give medical providers the right to perform abortions and would override certain state-level restrictions, such as bans on abortion via telemedicine or requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The White House has said it strongly supports the bill.
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“Make no mistake: the actions today in Oklahoma are a part of a disturbing national trend attacking women’s rights and the Biden Administration will continue to stand with women in Oklahoma and across the country in the fight to defend their freedom to make their own choices about their futures,” said Psaki’s statement.
