Current law restricts Medicaid funds from covering abortion care for women in communities across the United States.

Banning access to safe, legal abortion is not what the majority of this country wants.

That right is a fundamental right. It is a right that is tied to your ability to have dignity in this country.

Even in states like the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which I represent, individuals, particularly low-income and young people, LGBTQ and black and brown folks, continue to face barriers in accessing comprehensive reproductive health care.

It is personally thrilling and inspiring to me to see a panel made entirely of women's voices, and America should listen to women's voices.

I just wanted to acknowledge, since there was this conversation about compassion for the innocence- earlier today I rolled out the People's Justice Guarantee, which calls for the abolishing of the death penalty.

Thank you, Acting Chair Maloney, for holding the line on this full committee hearing since the transition of Chairman Cummings.

I want to acknowledge my other sisters in service from our Pro-Choice Caucus were waived on today, Representatives Chu and Schakowsky, respectfully.

We cannot afford to endure another abortion ban because we are already battling discrimination in healthcare, wages too low to put food on the table, debilitating childcare costs, attacks on immigrants, and threats to our voting rights.

I refuse to stand by and see even one more woman's life put in danger because of lack of access to safe and legal abortion.

This is a decision between a woman and her God and her doctor and her life, and only she knows how to make this decision.

To be clear, the Hyde Amendment functioned as the original abortion ban for low-income individuals.