Dear Friend,
Despite the dysfunction of this divided Congress, I am committed to making progress on our priorities. This month, I am sharing the work I am doing in Washington, D.C. to advance issues that are critical to Oregonians.
That includes fighting against egregious attacks on reproductive freedom.
Since the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling last summer that revoked the fundamental right to abortion, more than a dozen states have passed extreme abortion bans.
While Oregon remains the only state in the nation with no restrictions on reproductive care, it is clear we cannot take anything for granted. Last spring, a federal judge in Texas questioned the safety of medication abortion—despite decades of evidence to the contrary— in yet another brazen attempt to politicize the judiciary. Just last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals partially sided with that judge, restricting broad access to medication abortion and setting up another case before the Supreme Court. While medication abortion will remain available as litigation continues, the ruling could jeopardize access to medication abortion not just in red states but across the country.
I joined House Democrats to introduce legislation to codify Roe v. Wade and create a national right to access abortion care. House Republicans refuse to bring this to a vote, but I am using every procedural tool at my disposal to force a vote. I am also fighting to:
Fund security for providers, facilities, and patients;
End the restriction on federal funds to pay for abortion care and eliminate restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion services;
Protect patients traveling across state lines to access an abortion; and
Strip harmful anti-abortion policies being proposed in federal funding bills.
We have entered a new chapter in the fight for abortion access. We must be as determined, as strategic, and as focused as our opponents have been for the last 50 years.
My pledge to you is to continue making progress on this issue and more—no matter how slow, we will continue moving forward.
