Jackie Speier: “I thank the gentleman for really powerful remarks. This issue doesn't have to be that hard, but because of legislation…”

“I thank the gentleman for really powerful remarks. This issue doesn't have to be that hard, but because of legislation that has been passed previously, it has made it incredibly difficult. I am going to share with you now the stories of healthcare professionals who have provided care to these military servicewomen. You have heard from my colleagues about some of the servicemembers' stories. I am now going to tell you about two abortion providers, one who is Active Duty and the other one who is a civilian provider but who spends the majority of her career close to military installations and provides services to our servicewomen. The Active-Duty provider, Dr. Lamme, had to tell a young woman that her child would not live more than a few minutes following birth due to fetal abnormalities, yet there was nothing she could do but hope that the young woman could afford the care she wanted and deserved off base. She could not even provide her abortion counseling. She had to kind of hint about it. This particular patient had to hold a fundraiser. Now, think about this. This is a servicewoman who has sworn to put her life on the line for her country. She is in a foreign destination, and she is holding a fundraiser to raise the funds to fly back to the United States to get her abortion. Just imagine having to ask your friends and family for that money because the military you have dedicated your life to has failed you.…”