Memo National
Press Release
Democrats Introduce Legislation to Serve as Barrier for Impending Comstock Act Revival
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Contact: media@reproductivefreedomforall.org
Democrats Introduce Legislation to Serve as Barrier for Impending Comstock Act Revival
Washington, DC — Today, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) introduced the Stop Comstock Act, which aims to serve as a firewall to prevent Donald Trump and his radical allies from grossly misapplying a 150-year-old piece of legislation to criminalize abortion providers and impose a nationwide ban on abortion. The Comstock Act, an antiquated piece of legislation that was originally passed long before women had the right to vote, bans the mailing of anything “lewd” or “indecent.” Misusing the outdated piece of legislation as a vehicle to ban the mailing of abortion pills and equipment is one of the ways outlined in Project 2025 for Trump and the Department of Justice to effectively ban abortion nationwide, even in states that protect abortion.
Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:
“The Comstock Act is so antiquated and out of date that it was passed before women could vote. Trump and his allies are on a crusade to take us back in time by misusing a 150-year-old bill to ban abortion nationwide. Trump has already appointed anti-abortion extremists who support Comstock to his cabinet, like Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Project 2025 playbook tells us the threat to medication abortion is very real. Thank you Senator Smith and Representative Balint for pushing back against Project 2025 and the Trump administration’s anti-abortion agenda.”
###
For over 50 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.