Senator Brouk Dismayed By Introduction of National Abortion Ban Legislation

ROCHESTER, NY - Senator Samra Brouk (SD-55) reiterated her steadfast commitment to protecting the reproductive rights of women and families in New York as legislation to enact a national abortion ban was introduced in the United States Senate. 85% of Americans surveyed by Gallup think abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances.

“Ideological extremists in Washington have repeatedly shown us they are willing to go to cruel lengths to criminalize reproductive healthcare, and this legislation is the latest in a sustained, major attack on Americans rights,” said Senator Brouk. “Abortion bans do not stop women from seeking reproductive healthcare; they stop women from receiving safe reproductive healthcare—often with tragic results, disproportionately affecting low-income, queer, and Black & brown people. As Senator, I am fighting to increase access to lifesaving healthcare, not criminalize it.”

Senator Brouk is taking action to protect our right to privacy in healthcare settings from the sustained attacks of an increasingly extremist Minority Conference. Earlier this year, the New York Senate advanced the first passage of an amendment to codify the right to an abortion and the right to contraception in the State Constitution. The amendment would also update the existing Equal Rights Amendment to extend current protections to several new classes, including on the basis of sex, disability, national origin, ethnicity, and age.

In April, Senator Samra Brouk announced that the approved State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022-23 Budget included language from the Reproductive Equity Act she sponsored in the Senate (S7002 BROUK). The Budget provisions from her bill codified a requirement that insurance plans cover abortion where they already cover maternity care.

In May, Senator Brouk voted with her New York Senate colleagues to pass legislation protecting the rights of individuals seeking abortion care or gender-affirming care. The package of legislation included measures to further protect the identities of those seeking safe and legal reproductive healthcare. New protections for abortion providers included certain legal protections for New York-based abortion service providers. 

The Senate Majority has worked to expand New Yorkers' reproductive rights, passing the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) and the Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act (CCCA).