Barbara Lee: “Today the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments for the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This case…”

“Today the Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments for the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. This case is the first time in 50 years that the Court is hearing a case that directly challenges Roe v. Wade. Half of the States in the country are poised to ban abortion entirely if the Court overturns Roe through trigger laws. Everyone should have the freedom to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions--not politicians. Now, I am one of the one in four women who have had an abortion. I remember the days when abortion was criminalized way before Roe v. Wade. Now, Madam Speaker, I survived. But many women, especially Black women, died. We will not go back to the days of unsafe abortions. These lives impact everyone but have a disproportionate impact on Black, Latina, indigenous people, and people of color. This also is about economic justice, racial equity, and the freedom to make decisions over one's life and one's reproductive healthcare. Abortions must be safe, they must be legal, and they must be accessible. The Senate must pass Congresswoman Judy Chu's Women's Health Protection Act so we can ensure that we protect the right to safe, legal, and accessible abortions. ____________________”