Warren woman's miscarriage helps inspire abortion access resolution in Congress

Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill have proposed a resolution reaffirming access to emergency abortion care - partially inspired by one woman's plight here in the valley.

Introduced by U.S. Reps Emilia Sykes of Ohio and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, the resolution would reaffirm that the Emergency medical Treatment and Labor Act protects access to emergency abortion care in every state.

During her speech announcing the resolution, Sykes tells the story of Brittany Watts, who was charged in Warren Municipal Court last year after suffering a miscarriage in her bathroom.

Watts was 21 weeks and five days pregnant when her OB-GYN told her her pregnancy was non-viable. She then went to a medical facility multiple times but for various reasons, did not get the care she needed.

NBC News reports that Watts waited for close to 20 hours altogether before she miscarried.

"Brittany's story is unfortunately not the only one," Sykes says during her speech. "There are so many more women who have miscarried in public bathrooms, gone into septic shock or even needed blood transfusions simply because they were unable to get the care when they needed it the most."

Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade over two years ago, nearly two dozen US states have banned or limited access to abortion, according to a report from CNN.

"These strict laws have created confusion around the treatment doctors can provide even when a pregnant patient’s life is in danger, as physicians fear that they may lose their medical license, be sued, or even charged with a felony if they perform emergency care," according to a joint statement from Sykes and Sherrill.

This resolution will help alleviate this uncertainty by clearly and strongly reaffirming that EMTALA guarantees access to all forms of emergency medical care, including abortion care, the statement reads.

You can read the full resolution below: