June 29, 2023

Duckworth, Murray Announce A New Resolution Condemning Republican Efforts to Undermine Reproductive, Gender-Affirming & Contraceptive Care

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – As Republicans continue their push for legislation that severely limits basic healthcare for women and LGBTQIA+ Americans in states across the country, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced the introduction of a resolution that would condemn these misguided, dangerous attempts to criminalize the full range of sexual and reproductive healthcare including abortion, gender-affirming care and contraceptive care. The resolution also disapproves of the criminalization of pregnancy outcomes. A companion resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA-05).

“Every American in every state deserves the freedom to decide what is best for their own bodies and futures,” said Senator Duckworth. “As Republicans continue to attack reproductive and LGBTQIA+ rights across the nation, I’m proud to be teaming up with Senator Murray and Congresswoman Williams to introduce a bicameral resolution that would condemn Republicans’ barbaric, bigoted efforts and affirm every American’s right to access the basic, high-quality healthcare that they deserve without fear of reprisal or punishment.”

“Americans should be outraged that far-right lawmakers are directing their taxpayer dollars toward criminalizing abortion care and other critical health care, including contraception and gender-affirming care,” said Senator Murray. “We’re talking about personal health care decisions, yet all across this country doctors are being threatened with jail time or prosecution simply for doing their jobs and patients—and even their friends and neighbors—are being targeted by extreme Republican politicians who are hell-bent on criminalizing abortion. Senator Duckworth and I are determined to speak out in every way we can to make sure Americans can make their own personal health care decisions.”

“Protecting access to sexual health care benefits everyone,” said Congresswoman Williams. “Someone you know, someone in your family, or someone you love currently relies on or will need abortion, contraception, gender-affirming care, or other essential health care. Criminalizing reproductive health care only puts up barriers to care, resulting in millions of people suffering with marginalized communities suffering the most.”

The resolution is endorsed by 74 organizations including: Physicians for Reproductive Health, If/When/How, the National Center for Transgender Equality, NARAL, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the Guttmacher Institute and the Feminist Women’s Health Center. A full list of endorsing organizations can be found here.

“As a provider of comprehensive reproductive health services, including abortion care, I know how important it is for people to be able to access timely, compassionate health care,” said President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health Dr. Jamila Perritt. “These dangerous political restrictions being enacted against abortion care and gender-affirming care, and the ongoing threats on access to contraceptive care, make clear that no one is safe. It is time for Members of Congress to send an unequivocal message that no matter someone’s health care needs or the pregnancy outcomes they experience, no one should be criminalized for getting the care they need. People deserve compassion, not judgment, stigma, or punishment. Abortion is not going anywhere. Contraceptive care is not going anywhere. Gender affirming care is not going anywhere. People will continue finding ways to get the care they need, and they should not be surveilled or criminalized for doing so.”

A copy of the resolution can be found here.

Duckworth and Murray are fierce advocates in protecting Americans’ right to access basic healthcare. Recently, Duckworth and Murray helped introduced the Right to Contraception Act, which would codify and strengthen the right to contraception. Both lawmakers joined more than 250 members of Congress in submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, in support of the Biden Administration’s appeal of a federal district court ruling that suspends the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) more than 20-year-old approval of mifepristone as well as the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit—which does not revoke FDA approval of mifepristone in its entirety but does significantly restrict access to the drug nationwide and ultimately overrides FDA’s scientific judgment. Duckworth and Murray also helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023 to restore the right to comprehensive reproductive healthcare for millions of Americans. Additionally, the two introduced the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act to help guarantee abortion coverage—without restrictions—for millions of Americans.

Duckworth hosted Dr. Erin King of Illinois’s Hope Clinic as her 2023 State of the Union guest, as part of the Senator’s continuing efforts to defend Americans’ right to full, comprehensive reproductive healthcare—no matter their zip code, income, ability status or skin color.

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