Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade:

“The anniversary of Roe v. Wade is an opportunity to reflect on the tremendous gains made by women in our society. These gains were made possible, in large part, by expanded reproductive rights and the guarantee that women can make their own health care decisions.

“I’m especially proud California has continued to build on this progress. The state has removed barriers to health care by expanding access to contraception, requiring coverage of abortion services for low-income women, ensuring that women receive accurate information about reproductive health care options and enacting tough laws against harassment of women and doctors.

“Despite this progress in California, women in other states face real threats to these gains—many states are passing laws restricting access and cases are being taken to the Supreme Court. Between 1995 and 2014, states enacted 835 measures to intimidate women and make it more difficult to access abortion services. These include laws mandating women receive medically-inaccurate information and others designed to close clinics by requiring unnecessary, expensive renovations. The goal of these laws is clear—to make it harder and harder for women to access constitutionally-protected health care.

“The Supreme Court will soon hear oral argument in two very important reproductive-rights cases. At risk in Zubik v. Burwell is insurance coverage of contraception for women who work at religiously-affiliated nonprofits. The administration has already made significant accommodations for these institutions, and I believe it is vital that health care services for these women be covered, just as Congress intended—not denied to them by their employers.

“In Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the justices will consider whether a Texas law that would result in the closure of 75 percent of clinics that offer abortion services would create an ‘undue burden.’ Given that 900,000 women would be forced to drive more than 300 miles to access care, this is a significant burden. I’m proud to have joined many of my colleagues in an amicus brief, and the Court should strike down this law and affirm that women in this country have equal rights, regardless of whether they live in California, or any other state.”