- Ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
Support legislation ensuring states cannot limit access to abortion later in pregnancy if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
Occurrences
Ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
"Ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother."
...and ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
The Women’s Health Protection Act would: ... Ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother... The legislation is sponsored by the entire Democratic caucus, including... Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
The Women’s Health Protection Act would ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
Evidence
On June 24, 2025, Senator Tammy Duckworth co-introduced the Women's Health Protection Act of 2025, aiming to guarantee access to abortion nationwide and restore comprehensive reproductive healthcare rights. The bill seeks to prohibit states from imposing restrictions that jeopardize access to abortion earlier in pregnancy and ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
On March 8, 2023, Senator Tammy Duckworth co-introduced the Women's Health Protection Act of 2023, federal legislation to guarantee access to abortion across the country and restore comprehensive reproductive healthcare rights. The bill aims to prohibit states from imposing restrictions that jeopardize access to abortion earlier in pregnancy and ensure that later in pregnancy, states cannot limit access to abortion if it would jeopardize the life or health of the mother.
On June 8, 2022, Senator Tammy Duckworth introduced a resolution opposing the criminalization of the full range of reproductive and sexual healthcare, including abortion. The resolution condemns the misapplication of criminal laws to punish people for the outcomes of their pregnancies and affirms that people deserve access to high-quality healthcare without fear of reprisal or punishment.
Congress.gov lists Sen. Tammy Duckworth as an original cosponsor of S.1975, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2021, with a cosponsor date of June 8, 2021.
Congress.gov summarizes S.4132 as prohibiting governmental restrictions on abortion access, including bans after fetal viability when a provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient's life or health. The latest action was failed cloture on May 11, 2022, 49-51, and the bill status was Introduced.
The Senate roll-call record says cloture on the motion to proceed to S.4132 was rejected, 49 yeas to 51 nays, with three-fifths required. The same record lists Duckworth (D-IL) voting Yea.
Duckworth's Senate office announced that she and Sen. Durbin joined the introduction of the Women's Health Protection Act of 2023. The release said the bill would create federal protections against state restrictions, including later-pregnancy limits that would jeopardize the mother's life or health.
Congress.gov's S.701 text names Duckworth among the senators introducing the bill. The bill text protects abortion after viability when necessary to protect the patient's life or health and bars state limitations in those cases. Congress.gov lists the bill status as Introduced, with latest action placing it on the Senate calendar.
Congress.gov's S.2150 text names Duckworth among the senators introducing the 2025 Women's Health Protection Act. The bill permits post-viability abortion when necessary to protect the patient's life or health and prevents legal limitations in that circumstance. Its latest action was referral to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the bill status was Introduced.
Congress.gov lists Tammy Duckworth as an original cosponsor of S.1975, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2021.
Congress.gov says S.4132 would bar abortion bans after fetal viability when a provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient's life or health, but its latest Senate action was failed cloture 49-51 and the bill stayed Introduced.
The Senate roll call shows cloture on the motion to proceed to S.4132 failed 49-51, and Duckworth voted Yea.
Duckworth's office said she helped introduce the 2023 Women's Health Protection Act, and the release says later-pregnancy abortion access would be protected when needed to safeguard the mother's life or health.
Congress.gov lists Duckworth among the senators introducing S.701, and the bill text would prohibit state limits after viability when needed to protect the patient's life or health; the bill was still Introduced and placed on the Senate calendar.
Congress.gov lists Duckworth among the senators behind S.2150, whose text again protects post-viability abortions when necessary for the patient's life or health; the bill's status was still Introduced and referred to Judiciary.
Assessments
The promise was to support legislation with this life-or-health protection for later-pregnancy abortion access, not to personally secure final enactment. Duckworth fulfilled that support commitment in office by cosponsoring the Women's Health Protection Act in 2021, voting to advance the 2022 version, and helping introduce matching versions in 2023 and 2025. The bills did not become law, but her own promised action was legislative support, and the record shows she repeatedly provided it during the same term.
Duckworth repeatedly supported and co-introduced federal legislation that would have barred states from limiting later-pregnancy abortion access when necessary to protect the patient's life or health, including the Women's Health Protection Act in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. But the cited bills were introduced or stalled and never became law, so the promised policy was not actually delivered. Because she made sustained, serious legislative attempts while in office, effort credit is warranted even though the outcome failed.
Duckworth materially supported the promised policy by co-introducing the Women's Health Protection Act in 2023 and 2025, which included protections against state limits on abortion later in pregnancy when the life or health of the mother would be jeopardized. However, the evidence only shows introduction/co-introduction and related advocacy, not enactment into federal law. Because the promised outcome required legislation ensuring states cannot impose those limits, the promise was attempted but not delivered.
Senator Duckworth made multiple serious legislative attempts during her term, co-introducing the Women's Health Protection Act and introducing a resolution to protect abortion rights and access, specifically including provisions to prevent states from limiting abortion when the life or health of the mother is threatened. However, no legislation with these provisions ultimately became law, and states retain authority to restrict abortion access. Therefore, while strong effort is evident, the campaign promise was not delivered.