Findings

Congress finds the following: (1) On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (No. 19–1392, 2022 WL 2276808 (2022)), which overturned its prior, egregiously wrong holding in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)). (2) Dobbs correctly affirmed that there is no constitutional right to abort an unborn child and that the Court’s prior decision in Roe was not based in the Constitution’s text nor was it deeply rooted in the history and tradition of the United States. (3) Federal law protects individuals with disabilities against discrimination, including in the provision of medical care. (4) As Congress has previously affirmed, [d]isability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to live independently, enjoy self-determination, make choices, contribute to society, pursue meaningful careers, and enjoy full inclusion and integration in the economic, political, social, and educational mainstream of American society. (5) It is the policy of the United States to respect the lives and the dignity of individuals with disabilities, including individuals with Down syndrome. (6) Federal, State, and local government all have a role to play in preventing discrimination based on disability, including discrimination against individuals with Down syndrome. (7) Consistent with the overarching Federal policy of nondiscrimination, and in light of the shameful history of targeting unborn children for abortion based on race, gender, or disabilities, Congress must combat invidious discrimination by prohibiting doctors from aborting unborn children because the unborn child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. (8) Tragically, in some countries that have failed to protect unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome, virtually every unborn child diagnosed with Down syndrome is aborted. (9) Individuals with Down syndrome are inherently valuable and worthy of dignity and respect. They enrich and strengthen our society in countless ways, including but not limited to building meaningful relationships, participating in and creating families, learning, and working alongside other Americans.