White House Press Secretary addressed the Louisiana abortion law that will prevent women from having the procedure in nearly all scenarios, CNN reports.
She issued a statement to not only call the law “radical,” but to note that “an overwhelming majority of the American people agree and reject these kinds of radical measures.”
Most, if not all, abortions in the state would be banned – including those extreme cases in which a girl or woman is impregnated through race or incest if the law is passed.
“The Louisiana legislature has taken the latest step in a growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans. Louisiana’s extreme bill will criminalize abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest and punish reproductive healthcare professionals with up to ten years in prison,” Jean-Pierre countined. “The President is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans afforded by Roe for nearly 50 years, and ensuring that women can make their own choices about their lives, bodies, and families. An overwhelming majority of the American people agree and reject these kinds of radical measures.”
According to the legislation, all abortion clinics would shut down and criminal charges could be underway for any physician performing an abortion procedure.
Per reports, the Louisiana state Senate provided a final approval for the law on Sunday (June 5) and it will now go to Gov. John Bel Edwards for a final decision.
As a Roman Catholic, the governor – who is a Democrat- has previously shared that he is not in favor of abortion due to his religion.
The news follows an April leak that revealed plans by Supreme Court justices to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade verdict, thus rekindling the abortion rights argument across the nation.
Louisiana joins a dozen states with “trigger laws” in place should the decision be overturned.
If this is the case, restrictive abortion laws would immediately go into effect preventing women from the procedure no matter the circumstances.