Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D) drew nationwide attention on Tuesday for her 12-hour filibuster against a restrictive, GOP-backed anti-abortion bill. Even senators in Washington, D.C. tuned in, they said Wednesday in a letter to Davis from Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) on behalf of 26 of their Democratic colleagues.
"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," the letter read. "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."
Here's the list of other senators whose names were attached to the letter:
U.S. Senators 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.).
While Davis' stand temporarily succeeded in killing SB 5, which threatened to close all but five of the abortion clinics in Texas and prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) called a second special session on Wednesday, to finish up work on that bill and others.