STATEMENT: Supreme Court’s NIFLA v. Becerra Decision Weaponizes the First Amendment to Undermine Women’s Health

Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra. The 5-4 ruling strikes down the California Reproductive FACT Act, which mandates that crisis pregnancy centers provide women full and complete information relating to abortion. Shilpa Phadke, vice president of the Women’s Initiative at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement about the ruling:

This decision weaponizes the First Amendment to attack the fundamental right of women to be free from propaganda and lies when making vital decisions about their health. By giving fake women’s health centers special treatment under the law that allows them to avoid basic consumer protection standards, the Court has imperiled the health and safety of women across our country. Low-income women and women of color, who already face unacceptable barriers to high-quality care, are specifically targeted by these centers and will suffer the most from the Supreme Court’s actions today.

By siding with fake health care centers, the Court has made public health second to far-right political views. Language from today’s ruling appears to be an assist from the bench to the Trump administration and anti-choice politicians across the country who seek to restrict the speech of legitimate doctors while empowering fake medicine.