WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Wednesday released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, legislation that would affirm support for protecting access to reproductive health care.

“It doesn’t get simpler than this bill, and yet like clockwork, Republicans have made it clear they have no interest in protecting women’s access to reproductive health care. They just voted overwhelmingly against this commonsense legislation, and their campaign platform includes prohibiting abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Women – not politicians or radical right-wing judges – should be in charge of decisions about their health care. In a post-Dobbs America, Democrats are doing everything we can to secure that right while Republicans won’t stop until they pass a nationwide abortion ban,” said Murphy.

Last month, Murphy released statements after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of the Right to Contraception Act and the Right to IVF Act. In March, Murphy co-sponsored legislation to protect IVF access and other assisted reproductive technology, but passage was blocked by Senate Republicans. Last year, Murphy co-sponsored a slate of legislation to protect reproductive rights, including the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act, the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act, the Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act, the Women’s Health Protection Act, and a Senate resolution expressing opposition to the use of state resources and power against Americans seeking reproductive healthcare, such as abortion services, contraception, and gender-affirming care.

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