Congressman Andrew Clyde of Georgia’s 9th District has introduced legislation aimed at repealing Washington, D.C.’s Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act of 2022, known as the district’s interstate shield law. The bill, called the D.C. Shield Law Repeal Act, seeks to make D.C. providers legally accountable for actions that undermine states’ laws restricting abortion and gender-related medical treatments. Senator Mike Lee of Utah has presented companion legislation in the Senate.
“Both abortion and cross gender hormone drugs have serious, irreversible consequences,” said Rep. Clyde. “We cannot allow the Left’s woke ideology, under the guise of ‘bodily autonomy,’ to infiltrate our states through the shipping of these drugs with zero legal repercussions. Congress must use its constitutional authority over our nation’s capital to hold D.C. providers liable for undermining state laws and to protect women, children, and the unborn.”
Senator Lee added: “Our nation’s capital should not be a refuge for people who take the lives of children or wreck their bodies with illegal drugs. Criminals on the lam can escape to DC after performing abortions in states where they are illegal, because they know DC will let them get away with it. This bill will repeal DC’s safe harbor for illegal abortionists and peddlers of drugs for transexual procedures, restoring the rule of law to Washington.”
The proposed repeal is co-sponsored by 25 members of Congress from various states.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman stated: “Shield laws fly in the face of constitutional legality and basic morality. D.C. providers prescribing chemical abortion pills and transgender therapy should not be protected from interstate investigations especially since the door is wide open for them to provide some of these drugs to minors. I am proud to cosponsor Congressman Clyde’s bill which will end this madness immediately.”
Organizations supporting the bill include Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Concerned Women for America (CWA), Family Research Council (FRC), and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America (SBA).
Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel at ADF, said: “We are grateful to Rep. Andrew Clyde for introducing this bill to repeal the so-called shield laws in Washington, D.C. These unconstitutional ‘shield laws’ open the door for the illegal and illicit flow of dangerous abortion drugs into prolife states, harm women and their unborn children, and protect abortion drug traffickers from legal liability. We commend Rep. Clyde for his leadership to repeal these pernicious laws that undermine the unalienable right to life.”
Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee remarked: “Shield laws are an evil loophole created for abortion providers to free themselves from accountability. Not only do these harmful laws undermine state law, they leave women and children helpless and alone with dangerous drugs and no protections. Representative Clyde’s D.C. Shield Law Repeal Act is a necessary step to hold abortion providers accountable for protecting women and children.”
MaryBeth Waddell from FRC commented: “FRC is grateful to Rep. Clyde and Sen. Lee for introducing the D.C. Shield Law Repeal Act… This bill puts the victims first and helps ensure they can get justice… States have a right to protect their citizens, and victims must be protected.”
Marilyn Musgrave from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America said: “So-called Shield laws protect abortionists, not women… Thank you, Rep. Clyde, for working to protect babies and their mothers by introducing the D.C. Shield Law Repeal Act to repeal this extremely reckless law.”
Beth Thomason from Choices Pregnancy Center Rabun County noted: “Our forefathers fought arduously … There’s no asterisk that declares a person must be in a special location … Life begins with the right to exist… Repealing shield law will just be the beginning of providing accountability … Our center has seen first-hand the impact shield laws weaponization has had … These laws strip women and families of the ability to make informed decisions regarding each one of these founding principles.”
The Human Rights Sanctuary Amendment Act was enacted by Washington D.C.’s Council in 2022 following national changes after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization . The law prohibits cooperation by local officials with out-of-state investigations into abortions or provision of cross-gender hormone therapies when such activities violate other states’ regulations.
Supporters argue that such shield laws enable providers in D.C., including those mailing medication like mifepristone into states such as Georgia—where such distribution may violate local statutes—to avoid prosecution or civil penalties.
Rep. Clyde cited an incident involving his own district where abortion pills were mailed from Washington D.C., allegedly bypassing Georgia law.
According to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 of the U.S Constitution , Congress holds exclusive legislative authority over Washington D.C.’s affairs.
In recent elections within Georgia’s Ninth Congressional District:
– In 2024, Andrew Clyde defeated Tambrei Cash with about 69% of votes.
– In 2022 he won against Michael Ford with roughly 72%.
– In 2020 he prevailed over Devin Pandy securing nearly 79% support.
