Providing for Consideration of H.R. Fafsa Deadline Act; Providing for Consideration of H.R. Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources Act; and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Critical Mineral Consistency Act of 2024

Floor Speech

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Ms. PETTERSEN. Madam Speaker, since the Supreme Court's unthinkable decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, women face countless attacks on our reproductive healthcare and desperately need Congress to act now.

Despite an overwhelming majority of Americans supporting reproductive healthcare, 14 States have enacted total abortion bans, and many others have brought partial bans or restrictions. This is resulting in devastating consequences across this country.

Millions of women are losing the right to critical, lifesaving care, and some States are actively attempting to stop emergency rooms from providing lifesaving abortions and miscarriage care.

These bans do not just threaten the health and safety of women seeking abortions. They jeopardize all pregnant people. In States with abortion bans, we have seen maternal death rates increase by 300 percent compared to States without abortion protections.

In States where abortions remain legal, like my home State of Colorado, people are facing longer wait times, delays in care, and a strained medical workforce.

We have seen maternity wards even shut their doors because they can't navigate what might happen in a medical emergency and how they would navigate the liability.

In response to this assault on women's healthcare, Americans across seven States, including my home State of Colorado, voted to protect access to reproductive healthcare in their State's constitution.

Choosing how and when to start a family is one of the most personal decisions somebody can make, and nobody should make that for you. These choices should be between women, their families, and their doctors.

I am a proud mother of a 4-year-old, and I am also 27 weeks pregnant. While we are very excited to welcome our second boy, with every pregnancy comes so much uncertainty. At our first appointment, I was told that I faced a high-risk pregnancy because of my age and that the heartbeat wasn't where they wanted it to be.

In a moment that should be filled with joy and excitement, you are faced with anxiety. I remember reminding myself that I am so lucky to live in Colorado because no matter what happened, I knew that I would be taken care of.

I am grateful that every single day since then, every appointment and milestone I have made I have had positive news, but far too many women are not as lucky and they also don't have access to the critical care they need.

Women across this country deserve more, which is why we must pass H.R. 12, the Women's Health Protection Act, to codify a woman's right to abortion federally.

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Ms. PETTERSEN. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so we can bring up H.R. 12, the Women's Health Protection Act, because we cannot afford to wait and not address the urgent needs of women across the Nation.

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