IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 65
Reaffirming the freedom to decide and expressing continued support for
medication abortion access.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY24, 2025
Mr. G
OTTHEIMERsubmitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the freedom to decide and expressing continued
support for medication abortion access.
Whereas antiabortion extremists are desperate to ban abor-
tion nationwide and are trying to misuse a centuries-old
zombie law to achieve their goals;
Whereas there is a settled understanding of the Comstock
Act for nearly a century, and the Department of Justice,
the courts, and Congress have made clear that the Com-
stock laws do not apply to lawful abortions;
Whereas the majority of the public supports abortion access,
and an overwhelming majority of Americans (80 percent)
oppose a Federal law banning abortion nationwide;
VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:29 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR65.IH HR65
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2
•HRES 65 IH
Whereas antiabortion extremists are waging a war on repro-
ductive rights, including the ability to make personal, pri-
vate health care decisions;
Whereas misusing, misapplying, and misinterpreting the
Comstock Act would be yet another attempt to attack ac-
cess to medication abortion, a safe and effective health
care option;
Whereas misusing, misapplying, and misinterpreting the
Comstock Act could threaten certain shipping and trans-
portation of basic medical materials; and
Whereas misusing, misapplying, and misinterpreting the
Comstock Act could further threaten and endanger sex-
ual and reproductive health: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) affirms the existing authority to distribute 2
medication abortion under Federal law, as confirmed 3
by the December 23, 2022, Department of Justice’s 4
Office of Legal Counsel Memorandum Opinion for 5
the General Counsel of the United States Postal 6
Service which states in part that ‘‘Section 1461 of 7
title 18 of the U.S. Code does not prohibit the mail-8
ing of certain drugs that can be used to perform 9
abortions where the sender lacks the intent that the 10
recipient of the drugs will use them unlawfully.’’; 11
and 12
VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:29 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR65.IH HR65
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3
•HRES 65 IH
(2) condemns restrictions on access to and cov-1
erage of reproductive health care, including medica-2
tion abortion like mifepristone. 3
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:29 Jan 24, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR65.IH HR65
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB