Restoring Americans' Fundamental Right
Floor Speech
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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, Saturday marks 1 year since the U.S. Supreme Court announced its now infamous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and for the first time in our Nation's history, it took away one of America's most fundamental rights: the right to privacy.
In overturning Roe v. Wade and taking away Americans' right to abortion care, the U.S. Supreme Court has rolled back the clock on women's rights in this country and put the health and lives of millions of women at risk.
Everybody in this country deserves the freedom to make their own healthcare choices. Nobody should have to experience the pain and trauma that countless women in this country have now suffered as a result of the GOP's efforts to criminalize abortion care in this country.
While poll after poll shows that an overwhelming majority of the American public supports women's rights to abortion care, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle remain intent on outlawing it once and for all.
We may not have the majority in this Chamber just now, but there is no doubt that we have the majority of Americans on our side in this fight. If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle aren't willing to stand up for the people they represent, then we must.
This is legislation that was passed by the Chamber not once but twice last year. There is no reason why any Member who doesn't have their head in the sand shouldn't be ready to support it a third time.
Now is the time to end the devastation that too many Americans have already experienced. Now is the time to let the American public know exactly where every Member of this Chamber stands.
I urge my colleagues to sign this petition that is now at the desk. Madam Speaker, 218 of us is all it takes to bring this bill to the floor and take us one step closer to ending this nightmare.
Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
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Ms. DeGETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu), the author of the Women's Health Protection Act.
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