What's next in the political fight over abortion? | 'It's chaos'

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The future of abortion rights across the country is uncertain. In some places, things are changing from day to day.

Several providers in Houston have stopped performing the procedure. A hearing on Tuesday could allow access again, but it would only be for a few weeks.

The high court's decision overturning Roe vs. Wade has thrown things into chaos for millions of women. Political parties are trying to figure out the best ways to respond.

"Women will have abortions forever. They've had them forever. There is nothing that will stop women from having abortions," Joan Wolf, an associate professor of women's and gender studies at Texas A&M University, said.

Despite that sentiment, she said Republican lawmakers may still try to end abortion through strict, legal avenues.

"Things like, 'You may not support a woman trying to get an abortion in another state. If we discover you've left the state to get an abortion, you will get penalized in some way,'" Wolf said as an example.

If they win majorities in Washington, a national abortion ban could be on the table. Democrats, on the other hand, are also looking at ways to legally protect a woman's right to choose.

"It is possible for the Congress to decide that they will take it up, and they will pass a law that would be very carefully written that would protect a woman's right to pursue her healthcare in consultation with her doctor," Wolf said.

Though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that abortion was an issue for states to decide, Wolf said lawsuits would likely result from any new action on reproductive rights. That means the courts will probably take this up again. In the meantime, pregnant people are left to sort out the chaos while others make decisions about their rights.

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