Two Abortion-related Bills Pass U.S. House Friday

Two pieces of abortion-related legislation are on their way to the Senate after passing out of the U.S. House of Representatives Friday, although both bills will likely not even go to the floor for consideration.

Both Democrat-led bills were approved along largely party lines.

The first bill to pass Friday was an update to the Women's Health Protection Act, which aims to codify abortion rights protections into federal law.

4th District Representative Dan Newhouse, a Republican, said the bill was not a particularly hard one to vote 'no' on.

"It actually expands the access nationwide for abortions for any reason. This is the killer for me: it's through all nine months of pregnancy with no limitations whatsoever as to when that abortion could be performed." Newhouse said, "That's just a hard place for me to go."

Newhouse also joined fellow pro-life members of the House in voting against the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which would prevent state governments from disciplining women who travel to other states for abortion-related health care. He said the legislation carries with it a huge discrepancy.

"This ignores the fact that it could open up this loophole that would allow human traffickers and sex abusers … to bring (human trafficking victims) across state lines to get abortions and have no consequences whatsoever," continued Newhouse.

Both bills are unlikely to receive the 60 procedural votes needed in the Senate to be brought to a vote.

The pieces of legislation come after the United States Supreme Court's June decision to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

President Biden also issued an executive order last week to protect access to abortion-related medication. In addition, the order asks the administration to consider several ways to protect the rights of those seeking reproductive health care.