Alan Lowenthal: “I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Tlaib and Pressley, for yielding and allowing me to speak. As we…”

“I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Tlaib and Pressley, for yielding and allowing me to speak. As we all know, this morning the Supreme Court heard the oral arguments in Medical Services v. Russo, a case that challenges the unconstitutional abortion restrictions in Louisiana. The Louisiana law would require abortion providers to obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles or else they must stop providing care. Let's be clear what this is about. This restrictive law is meant to eliminate access to abortion care. In fact, if this law were allowed to stand, all but one of Louisiana's abortion clinics would be shut down. This should be a straightforward decision for the Supreme Court. Three years ago, the Court struck down an identical Texas law in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt. Americans overwhelmingly support abortion access. Nearly 80 percent of Americans do not want to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Polling consistently shows that there is not a single State in the Union where residents want to outlaw abortion. Not one. Reproductive rights are central to individual liberties. What we are talking about are deeply personal decisions that should remain up to the woman, not be decided by politicians. These rights enable women to decide if or if not and how they should start to grow their family.…”