Hoyer Statement on Republicans' Extremist Legislation to Further Criminalize Women's Health Care
WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today after Republicans passed extreme legislation that would further criminalize access to reproductive health care:
"Less than a week into the 118th Congress, House Republicans are already acting on their shameful promise to make it even harder for women to access essential reproductive health care. Today, the new Republican Majority advanced legislation that seeks to denigrate and obstruct women who exercise their right to make their own health decisions as well as the medical professionals who help care for their reproductive health. Arguments for these proposals are rife with misinformation about abortion and have no grounding in current evidence-based medical procedures. They also go against the will of the American people, an overwhelming majority of whom support a woman's right to reproductive autonomy. That's why I was proud to join Democrats today in opposition to these radical and regressive bills.
"This legislation is just the latest salvo in Republicans' ongoing battle to criminalize abortion. Last summer, the Republican-appointed majority on the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, throwing out decades of legal precedent that established a woman's constitutional right to make her own health decisions. House Democrats took swift action in response. Last Congress, we passed legislation to enshrine Roe into law and protect every American's right to access contraceptives, and to ensure that women can cross state lines to receive reproductive care without fear of punishment. Sadly, Republicans in the Senate blocked these measures from becoming law. The American people, however, have made their discontent known. Whether voting down ballot initiatives to ban abortion in Kansas, Montana, and Kentucky or securing state constitutional amendments upholding reproductive freedom in California, Michigan, and Vermont, voters made it clear that they will not tolerate attacks on reproductive rights. Democrats share that belief and will continue to resist any attempt to undermine the basic rights that women and all Americans should be able to exercise freely."