Reproductive Justice for Women

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to participate in this conversation about women's rights and access to healthcare services, especially reproductive healthcare services.

I want to thank Congresswoman Tlaib and Congresswoman Pressley for their leadership on this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of women's access to reproductive healthcare.

The Louisiana law now being argued at the Supreme Court today, in part, is part of an ongoing national effort to effectively ban abortion without formally bringing up Roe v. Wade. Even if the right to abortion technically exists, it won't matter if access to places to get abortion care are eliminated.

Republicans have pushed hundreds of restrictive laws throughout State legislatures. If they truly cared about women, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would have voted for equal pay and for the Violence Against Women Act, but they didn't.

Instead, in 2020, they are still questioning a woman's constitutional right to safe and legal abortion, which has been the law of the land for over 46 years. They want to turn back the clock and deny women the right to reproductive healthcare, to make choices about their own bodies.

For many in my community, this is a deeply personal matter. I took a strong stance on reproductive rights before the issue was widely discussed and acceptable in my own community, but, for me, it has always been impossible to separate the issues of economic justice and reproductive freedom.

The ability to control if, when, and how to have children is at the core of women's ability to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their families.

But let me be clear: While abortion access is critical, women of color and other marginalized women also often have difficulty accessing contraception, comprehensive sex education, sexually transmitted infection prevention and care, adequate prenatal and pregnancy care, and so much more. In short, one's socioeconomic and immigration status, ZIP Code, et cetera, should not determine access to reproductive help.

Abortion access is a critical step toward achieving true reproductive justice for the communities I represent. If the Supreme Court decides to strip women of their practical access to abortion services, as they are now considering, they will effectively reverse Roe v. Wade and outright deny women the ability to determine their own health, family, and future.

This is an assault on women, an assault on freedom, and an assault on self-determination. Women alone should have the right to choose what is best for them.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source