[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 166 (Friday, September 24, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H5164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1245
                      ABORTION CARE IS HEALTHCARE

  (Ms. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, choosing whether to become a parent is 
one of the most important decisions a person will make in their 
lifetime. It is a decision we should be able to make for ourselves. But 
over the past decade, extremist anti-abortion politicians have passed 
more than 450 laws that undermine the freedom to make that decision.
  Our laws should protect our rights, like the right to abortion, not 
control and dehumanize us. We aren't truly free unless we can control 
our own bodies, lives, and future.
  As a nurse, I know that when people have access to a full range of 
healthcare services, including the full spectrum of reproductive health 
and maternity care, they are healthier and their families thrive.
  Because abortion is healthcare.
  The legislation that House Democrats passed today will protect access 
to healthcare and reproductive rights for all Americans. It ensures 
that, going forward, we all have the freedom to control our own bodies, 
safely care for our families, and live with dignity.
  I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take it up immediately and send 
it to President Biden's desk.

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