By NRL News

(Read related story in The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Congressman Mike Johnson (R-La.) led 207 members of Congress Thursday in filing an amicus brief to stand up for Louisiana’s pro-life law before the U.S. Supreme Court that would require all abortion providers to have admitting privileges at local hospitals when emergencies arise.

“I’m proud to lead the fight in Congress defending Louisiana’s pro-life law that will soon come before the U.S. Supreme Court. Innocent life must be protected at every stage, and I urge the Supreme Court to uphold this law which ensures the health and safety regulations meant to protect Louisianans from the very abortionists who don’t want high standards,” said Whip Scalise. “When our Supreme Court justices take up this Louisiana case, they will be deciding whether abortion clinics should be required to maintain the same standards as any other outpatient surgical clinic,” said Senator Kennedy. “The health and lives of these women are at stake. We aren’t asking abortion clinics to close down; we’re demanding they protect their patients by securing admitting privileges at nearby hospitals. It’s a common sense law, and we need to uphold this law which helps protect the lives of women and their unborn children.”“States reserve the right to protect mothers and their children with high standards for health care providers—and abortionists remain subject to such high standards. I hope the Supreme Court will issue a ruling that safeguards women’s health and that is consistent with the Constitution’s guarantee for states’ rights. In a year where the abortion movement has swept state legislatures to the extreme in states like New York and Virginia, it is important we defend the right of states like Louisiana to pass legislation to do the opposite and do more to protect the life of the unborn,” said Senator Blackburn. “This case is vitally important for two reasons. It presents a key opportunity for the Supreme Court to affirm the right of states to enact common sense health and safety regulations to protect women in vulnerable situations. The Court can also affirm Louisiana’s challenge to third-party standing, and ensure that future court challenges to abortion-related regulations cannot be brought by the notorious abortion industry that profits off substandard practices and dangerous clinic conditions. I’m proud to join with Rep. Scalise and my colleagues to assist in this landmark battle,” said Congressman Johnson.

June Medical Services, an abortion provider in Louisiana, filed suit against the constitutionality of a Louisiana law requiring all physicians performing abortions have admitting privileges within 30 miles of their abortion facility. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Louisiana’s law, and now Americans United for Life, with the support of Members in Congress, has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold this decision. Louisiana also filed a cross-petition challenging the ability of June Medical to seek the invalidation of health and safety regulations meant to protect Louisiana citizens from the very abortionists challenging the law.

The amicus brief is supported by 207 Members of Congress, including Reps. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Mike Johnson (R-La.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), Bill Flores (R-TX), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Alex X. Mooney (R-W. Va.), Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), Steve Chabot (R-Ohio), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), John Joyce, M.D. (R-Pa.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), Phil D. Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), Jody B. Hice (R-Ga.), Brian Babin, D.D.S. (R-TX), Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), Robert B. Aderholt (R-Ala.), Robert E. Latta (R-Ohio), Rick W. Allen (R-Ga.), Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Randy Weber (R-TX), Steve King (R-Iowa), Jim Hagedorn (R-Minn.), K. Michael Conaway (R-TX), Andy Harris, M.D. (R-Md.), Pete Olson (R-TX), Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Ross Spano (R-Fla.), Clay Higgins (R-La.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (R-Ariz.), Ralph Abraham, M.D. (R-La.), Garret Graves (R-La.), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio), Mike D. Rogers (R-Ala.), John Rutherford (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Ron Wright (R-TX), Mark Walker (R-N.C.), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Tom McClintock (R-Calif.), Ted S. Yoho, DVM (R-Fla.), Jodey C. Arrington (R-TX), Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.), Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M. (R-Ohio), Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Trent Kelly (R-Miss.), Billy Long (R-Mo.), Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.), David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-W. Va.), Roger Williams (R-TX), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Mark E. Green, M.D. (R-Tenn.), Kay Granger (R-TX), Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), John Shimkus (R-Ill.), John Ratcliffe (R-TX), Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), Michael Cloud (R-TX), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.), Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-Ind.), Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Gregory F. Murphy, M.D. (R-N.C.), John R. Moolenaar (R-Mich.), Francis Rooney (R-Fla.), Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-Fla.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), A. Drew Ferguson, IV (R-Ga.), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Ben Cline (R-Va.), Carol D. Miller (R-W. Va.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), David Rouzer (R-N.C.), Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-Pa.), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Kevin Brady (R-TX), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Tom Rice (R-S.C.), Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Steve Watkins (R-Kan.), Greg Pence (R-Ind.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Chip Roy (R-TX), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Martha Roby (R-Ala.), Collin C. Peterson (D-Minn.), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Ken Buck (R-Colo.), F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.), Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), Van Taylor (R-TX), Fred Keller (R-Pa.), Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), Doug Collins (R-Ga.), W. Gregory Steube (R-Fla.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), Tom Graves (R-Ga.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.), Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio), Paul Cook (R-Calif.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), Rob Bishop (R-Utah), James R. Baird (R-Ind.), Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), James Comer (R-Ky.), John R. Curtis (R-Utah), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Scott Tipton (R-Colo.), Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-Ga.), Daniel W. Lipinski (D-Ill.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), George Holding (R-N.C.), Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), Daniel P. Meuser (R-Pa.) Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Kennedy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

The full text of the amicus brief may be viewed here.