Sara Jacobs: “I thank Chairwoman Speier for her leadership today and her leadership on this issue. It has been truly incredible to…”

“I thank Chairwoman Speier for her leadership today and her leadership on this issue. It has been truly incredible to learn and serve under her. I am so proud to represent San Diego's vibrant and diverse military community in Congress and on the House Committee on Armed Services. When I go home and talk to my constituents, they ask me what I am doing to make sure their loved ones are taken care of, that they are going to be safe, not just when they are deployed abroad but when they are here at home. I have to look these families in the eye and tell them that right now, their loved ones who do so much to serve and sacrifice for our country will not necessarily have safe housing, affordable childcare, and quality healthcare, including reproductive healthcare. We owe our servicemembers so much more, because even though they volunteered to serve in our armed services, they didn't volunteer to give up their reproductive rights. Decisions about if, when, and how to have a family belong to our servicemembers, not the Supreme Court or elected officials. Taking away these fundamental rights doesn't just hurt these individuals. It hurts our military readiness, recruitment, retention, and morale, putting our national security in jeopardy. With 40 percent of Active-Duty servicewomen having very limited or zero access to abortion services where they are stationed, our military's ability to adapt to evolving conflicts and challenges is severely compromised.…”