Twenty-six Democratic U.S. senators sent a letter to Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D), thanking her for her successful 11 hour filibuster to block the passage of a bill that would have banned abortion procedures after 20 weeks before the state’s legislative session ended at midnight Wednesday.
The letter, according to a release from Sen. Richard Blumenthal, read:
Dear Senator Davis:
Thank you for your courage and determination in defeating S.B. 5, a bill that would have severely limited women’s reproductive choices in Texas. Your steadfastness sets an example that one person’s voice and commitment can make a difference. As Senators, we were awestruck as we watched you stand on the Senate floor of the Texas Legislature for hours in the face of ideologically based attempts to pass legislation that would threaten women’s health. Thanks to your dedication, Texas and the rest of the country will rethink efforts to enact similar laws. We are proud to call you an ally and a friend.
With appreciation and admiration,
The 26 senators who signed the letter are:
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mark Udall (D-Col.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Col.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry called a special session Wednesday to try again to pass these strict abortion regulations.
