On the recordFebruary 25, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. DelBene), who is a member of the select panel that will undoubtedly be examining some of these issues. Ms. DelBENE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for yielding. Mr. Speaker, 43 years ago, the Supreme Court ruled that women have a constitutional right to decide whether and when to have a child. Americans overwhelmingly think that was the right decision, and I agree. But according to Bloomberg, at no time since 1973 has a woman's access to reproductive health care been more dependent on her income or ZIP Code. Politicians across the country are passing dangerous laws to block women from exercising their constitutionally protected right to choose, and their efforts are working. That is why the case before the Supreme Court is so important. As the Justices weigh the Whole Woman's Health case, I hope they recognize that these shameful attacks undermine Roe v. Wade, put women's health at risk, and must be struck down. A woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions means nothing without the ability to exercise that right. If the Court upholds these harmful laws, it could pave the way for similar restrictions at the Federal level, and Republicans are already trying. We cannot let that happen. Women deserve better. They deserve the freedom to make their own healthcare choices.
