Mary Gay Scanlon: “We are all very grateful to the House Armed Services Committee for the bipartisan product that they have put forward…”

“We are all very grateful to the House Armed Services Committee for the bipartisan product that they have put forward here, but as we said before, it is the inclusion of multiple poison pill amendments all put forward by extremists from the House Republican majority and the failure to include both bipartisan and Democratic amendments that are really empowering both this rule and this bill. Madam Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, a bill that would ensure every American has full access to essential reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. Following the abhorrent Dobbs decision, which ended the protections for reproductive rights provided by Roe v. Wade, many States have enacted laws to either ban some or all abortions, which Republicans have declared numerous times is their goal. Reproductive healthcare is vital, and denying these rights to millions of women around the country and our servicemembers and their spouses is shameful and dangerous. That is why House Democrats are fighting to protect women, protect doctors, and protect patients who simply want to access and provide needed care. H.R. 12, the Women's Health Protection Act will prevent States from trampling on women's constitutional rights and keep fundamental healthcare services available across the country.…”