[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 183 (Thursday, November 9, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-137. A resolution adopted by the Senate of the State of 
     California relative to women's reproductive health; to the 
     Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                        Senate Resolution No. 12

       Whereas, January 22, 2017, marks the 44th anniversary of 
     the United States Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. 
     Wade, which affirmed that every woman has a fundamental right 
     to control her own reproductive decisions and to decide 
     whether to end or to continue pregnancy, and is an occasion 
     deserving of celebration; and
       Whereas, Roe v. Wade has been the cornerstone of women's 
     ability to control their reproductive lives, allowing every 
     woman in the United States the right to decide when, if, and 
     with whom to have children, and how many children to have; 
     and
       Whereas, Women's ability to control their reproductive 
     lives has helped and facilitated their participation in the 
     economic and social life of our nation; and
       Whereas, Roe v. Wade has drastically reduced the maternal 
     mortality rate for women terminating their pregnancies in the 
     United States. In the years prior to the decision, illegal 
     abortion accounted for approximately 17 percent of all 
     reported deaths attributable to pregnancy and childbirth, and 
     many women were severely injured as a result of ``back 
     alley'' abortion procedures; and
       Whereas, Interference with a woman's right to choose causes 
     women to be forced into illegal and dangerous abortions, as 
     they often were in the United States before the Roe v. Wade 
     decision. Many women are forced to make these decisions today 
     in countries where abortion is illegal and where the unsafe 
     methods of illegal abortion lead to 13 percent of global 
     maternal deaths annually, or eight maternal deaths every 
     hour. Many survivors of an illegal abortion suffer serious 
     and often permanent injuries; and
       Whereas, Roe v. Wade continues to protect the health and 
     freedom of women throughout the United States; and
       Whereas, Roe v. Wade is in serious jeopardy due to 
     President-elect Donald J. Trump's stated intention to 
     nominate United States Supreme Court justices hostile to 
     women's right to choose; and
       Whereas, The State of California stands in strong support 
     of every woman's fundamental right, as confirmed in Roe v. 
     Wade, to make her own decisions regarding her pregnancy; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the 
     Senate urges the President of the United States and the 
     United States Congress to express their support for a woman's 
     fundamental right to control her own reproductive decisions, 
     as well as their support for access to comprehensive 
     reproductive health care, including the services provided by 
     Planned Parenthood; and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies 
     of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the 
     United States, to the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to 
     each Senator and Representative from California in the 
     Congress of the United States, and to the author for 
     appropriate distribution.

                          ____________________