Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) has strongly condemned anti-choice efforts to prevent women from crossing state lines to access vital healthcare services. In her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, Senator Cortez Masto called on her colleagues to support her Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act, aimed at ensuring women in states with abortion bans can travel freely to pro-choice states for reproductive care.
“I knew that Roe being struck down would only encourage anti-choice extremists to continue their crusade to control women. That’s why, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision two years ago, I wrote the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act and led my colleagues in introducing it,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Our legislation reaffirms that women have a fundamental right to interstate travel and makes it crystal clear: states cannot prosecute women – or anyone who helps them – for going to another state to get the critical reproductive care they need.”
The proposed legislation emphasizes constitutional protections for interstate travel and seeks to provide recourse for women whose rights are infringed. It also aims to shield healthcare providers in pro-choice states, like Nevada, from prosecution and lawsuits when serving individuals from restrictive states.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a vigorous advocate for women’s reproductive rights. She has championed the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure equal access to abortion nationwide. Additionally, she supports legislation to codify the right to contraception and has urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to safeguard the data privacy of women seeking reproductive care. Cortez Masto has also taken on major pharmaceutical wholesalers to ensure Nevadans can access the abortion pill at retail pharmacies, including Walgreens.
The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act is a significant step towards reaffirming and protecting the rights of women across the United States, ensuring that essential health care remains accessible regardless of state-imposed restrictions.