Transcript of Pelosi Remarks at Press Event on Capitol Steps Ahead of House Passage of Bills to Protect Women's Reproductive Freedom

Press Conference

Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined Members of the Democratic Women's Caucus and reproductive freedom advocates on the House East Front Steps of the United States Capitol for a press event ahead of House passage of the Women's Health Protection Act and the Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act. Below are the Speaker's remarks:

Speaker Pelosi. Good morning. Good morning.

Just three weeks ago, the Supreme Court took a wrecking ball to the fundamental rights by overturning Roe v. Wade. It is outrageous that 50 years later, women must again fight for our most basic rights against an extremist Court and Republican Party. Disturbingly, Congressional Republicans want to go even further than the Court as they plot to criminalize abortion in all 50 states.

That is why today, our pro-choice, pro-women Democratic Majority stands resolute. We will take further action to defend women's reproductive freedom.

Today, the House will pass landmark bills: our Women's Health Protection Act to make the essential protections of Roe the law of the land. Thank you to Congresswoman Judy Chu for leading us in passing this bill today, for the second time this Congress.

Our [Ensuring] Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act will protect women who exercise the right to travel across state lines to get abortion care. Let us salute Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher and Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland for their authorship of this, along with Jamie Raskin who was part of it.

But we must ensure that the American people Remember in November. Because with two more Democratic Senators, we will be able to eliminate the filibuster when it comes to a woman's right to choose and to make reproductive freedom the law of the land -- the law of the land.

[Applause]

And now with great respect, admiration and appreciation for her leadership, I yield to the gentlewoman from California, Judy Chu: the author of the legislation.

[Applause]

***

Thank you, Congresswomen Judy Chu, Lizzie Fletcher and Marilyn Strickland for your leadership and for your presentations.

My friends, House Democrats are here on the steps of the United States Capitol -- next to the Senate, across from the Supreme Court -- to loudly declare: hands off of our reproductive health!

As Republicans in Congress, the courts and across the country seek to punish and control women, Democrats are honoring the basic truth: women's most intimate health decisions are her own.

I'm so proud of our Democrats in the House for their unity on this subject, their leadership on this subject. But as I've said many times before, our inside maneuvering is very important -- but it only takes us so far. It's the outside mobilization that makes the greatest difference. So I'm happy to welcome so many of our friends from outside groups who are engaged in the mobilization.

[Applause]

The alphabet, from "a to z.' But I'll mention Catholics for Choice, all the way to the YWCA. And in between, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and the National Council of Jewish Women. The list goes on and on.

People of faith are representative of all of us in our community here for families, for families. And so we will go to the Floor and vote on these bills. Americans outside are marching and making their voices heard. As we know -- as I just said, public sentiment is everything. Abraham Lincoln.

And as we pass this landmark legislation today, Democrats will not stop ferociously defending freedom for women and for every American. And we want everybody to know women out there who are concerned about their own personal reproductive freedom and what it means to their health, that the message from the House Democrats and our groups here today is: we are not going back! We are not going back! We are not going back!

Democratic Women Members. We are not going back! We are not going back! We are not going back! We are not going back! We are not going back! We are not going back!

Speaker Pelosi. And now we're going to vote.

Source