Lizzie Fletcher: “I thank Representative Green. Madam Speaker, I have worked closely with my colleagues in the Pro- Choice Caucus to…”

“I thank Representative Green. Madam Speaker, I have worked closely with my colleagues in the Pro- Choice Caucus to identify stories that need to be told during this Special Order hour this evening. I am grateful to my colleagues who have taken to the floor this evening to share with us the stories of their constituents, to share with us the stories of those who they know have been fighters for reproductive rights, for reproductive justice, for choice. One of our Pro-Choice Caucus leaders could not be with us tonight but has submitted a statement for the record that I would like to read now. From Representative Judy Chu: ``I rise today to honor the women of the abortion rights movement who have come before us. I remember what it was like before the days of Roe. So today, I am helping to remember and honor those who gave their lives, who put their own bodies in harm's way so that we might have the ability to decide what to do with ours. ``Women like Pam, who lives in my district in Pasadena, California-- Pam is in her seventies, retired, and spends her time volunteering in her community. But Pam told me about a time when she was 22 years old. It was 1969, and even though she and her partner had been using birth control, Pam found out she was pregnant. ``This happened in the days before Roe v. Wade, which meant that her options were limited. That is how Pam found herself standing on the curb of an airport in Mexico City, waiting for someone to pick her up.…”