Boxer Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Massachusetts "Buffer Zone" Law

Press Release

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) issued the following statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in McCullen v. Coakley, which struck down a Massachusetts law allowing for a 35-foot protest-free "buffer zone" around facilities that provide abortion services:

"It is distressing that the Supreme Court struck down an important Massachusetts law that protected women from violence and intimidation, but it is still a crime to harm, threaten or obstruct women as they enter clinics.

"Because the Supreme Court makes clear that women entering clinics have a right to be protected, I will work to find every possible tool to do just that."

Senator Boxer helped lead the fight to pass the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which makes it a federal crime to use force, the threat of force, or physical obstruction to prevent individuals from obtaining or providing reproductive health services.

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