Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has launched an investigation into how state abortion bans have affected Americans’ access to health care for pregnancies, reproductive and nonreproductive care.
In her announcement, Warren said her investigation was spurred by reports of “shocking stories from women in states that have enacted radical abortion bans and criminalized health care.”
Warren, who sits on the Senate Finance Committee Subcommittee on Health Care, said she had contacted medical organizations to gather more information, including the American Medical Association, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Nurses United, the American Pharmacists Association and the American Hospital Association.
“These initial reports are a harbinger of the threats faced by millions of women under state-imposed abortion bans and by their providers who took an oath to ‘do no harm.’ And as more states restrict abortion access, they will only multiply,” the Massachusetts senator said.
She highlighted specific cases from states like Wisconsin and Texas, where people were denied reproductive or related health care due to health care providers fearing legal repercussions from the state government.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Warren has been among the lawmakers most outspoken against the consequences of the decision.
Last month, Warren sent letters to multiple student surveillance programs along with her fellow Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey to ask if they flag terms related to words that could possibly indicate a student is seeking information for abortions.