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Floor Speech

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Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, I rise today because reproductive freedom is under attack.

In 2022, Donald Trump's far-right Supreme Court took away the constitutional right to an abortion, completing the Republican Party's decades-long plan to overturn Roe.

In some States, the Court's decision revived abortion bans that had lain dormant since the 1800s. In other States, the decision triggered new abortion restrictions prewritten to go into effect the very day that Roe v. Wade was overturned. The results have been horrific.

But here is the thing the Republican Party missed: From Kansas to Ohio, to California, reproductive rights are popular. Americans overwhelmingly support the right to an abortion, the right to IVF, and the right to contraception. In fact, these rights are so popular that Republicans want you to believe they support them, but their actions speak for themselves.

First, Republicans said they wouldn't overturn Roe v. Wade. Donald Trump and his extremist Supreme Court did, and Trump is still bragging about it. Now, over 20 States have banned or severely restricted abortion access, passed laws criminalizing doctors who perform abortions, or threatened access to pregnancy care, miscarriage care, fertility assistance, and more.

Then Republicans claimed they wouldn't go after IVF. Just this year, Alabama's Supreme Court virtually outlawed IVF in the State, and just a few weeks later, my colleagues in the Republican Party blocked Federal legislation that would protect access to this care.

Now, the Republican Party is saying they won't go after contraception. Well, that makes sense since 92 percent of Americans support birth control. But, guess what, Republicans now have contraception in their sights, and they are even trying to redefine what constitutes contraception. Sure, they support contraception--ah, but not an IUD; or they are all for contraception--hmm, but not Plan B.

Contraception is a must, except Republicans in Congress have a bill, the ``Life at Conception Act,'' that would give an embryo so-called personhood rights, which would outlaw abortion, outlaw IVF, and, yes, outlaw some forms of contraception. That bill has the majority support of the Republican caucus, including Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. On top of that, Republicans blocked Democrats from passing this very same bill to protect the right to contraception last year. But tomorrow, every Senator will have to say where they stand, proving that no matter what Republicans say about wanting to support contraception, when it comes down to it, they won't.

Tomorrow's vote should be a turning point. It is time we take these Republican lawmakers at their word.

Millions of people across this country are already experiencing a new form of hell thanks to Donald Trump and the extremist Supreme Court that overturned Roe, and Black, Brown, and low-income communities are feeling a disproportionate impact.

So, now, as Donald Trump continues to push for a nationwide abortion ban and says he is ``looking at'' contraception, Democrats are standing up and fighting back. Already, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken a series of steps to strengthen access to affordable, high-quality contraception and adequate access to reproductive healthcare more generally.

Tomorrow, I will be joining my Democratic colleagues, led by my partner Senator Markey and by Senator Hirono and Senator Duckworth, in voting for the Right to Contraception Act. Birth control is safe, effective, and an important part of reproductive healthcare.

It is time that we fight back against the Republican war against reproductive freedom. It is time we codify the right to contraception into law.

I am furious that millions of women have lost fundamental rights. I am furious that their freedom to make their own decisions has been taken away by a small number of extremists. I am alarmed by what the extremist Supreme Court and congressional Republicans are prepared to do to unravel a future of protection for women under a Republican Presidency.

This is about the right to make decisions about our own bodies and our own futures. It is all on the line, and we need these protections written into law. That is what tomorrow's vote is about.

I don't want to hear from Republicans who say they support contraception but can't make it the law of the land. If they really support contraception, then they will vote yes on the bill that comes up tomorrow. If not, actions speak louder than words. They will demonstrate that it is not only going after abortion, it is not only going after IVF, it is also all about going after contraception.

These are the decisions women should make for themselves. They should have the freedom to do that. These are not the decisions that should be made by extremist Republican lawmakers.

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