White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki blasted Oklahoma’s new law nearly banning all abortions.
“Today, the country’s most restrictive legislation regulating access to reproductive health care was signed into law in Oklahoma,” Psaki said in a statement.
She noted the law “makes providing an abortion illegal in the state of Oklahoma, with only a narrow exception for medical emergencies and no exception for rape or incest.”
Psaki continued, “This unconstitutional attack on women’s rights is just the latest and one of the most extreme state laws signed into law to date.”
She went on to call on Congress to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would “shut down these attacks and codify” the right to an abortion.
“Make no mistake: the actions today in Oklahoma are a part of disturbing national trend attacking women’s rights and the Biden Administration will continue to stand with women in Oklahoma and across the country in the fight to defend their freedom to make their own choices about their futures,” Psaki said.
Read her statement below:
NEW: White House press sec. Jen Psaki denounces new Oklahoma law that makes performing an abortion illegal.
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 12, 2022
“This unconstitutional attack on women’s rights is just the latest and one of the most extreme state laws signed into law to date.” https://t.co/wRgbGUVfod pic.twitter.com/iNorTrSi7d
A person convicted of performing or attempting to perform an abortion in Oklahoma would be found guilty of a felony and could face a $100,000 fine and a prison sentence of up to 10 years, as IJR reported.
The woman would not be held responsible for the abortion.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) said, “I promised Oklahomans that I would sign every pro-life bill that hit my desk, and that’s what we’re doing here today.”
He continued, “We want Oklahoma to be the most pro-life state in the country.”
Stitt recognized the bill will “be challenged immediately by liberal activists from the coast who always seem to want to come in and dictate and mandate and challenge our way of life.”