[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 117 (Friday, July 15, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E740]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SUPPORTING A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BRENDA L. LAWRENCE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 15, 2022

  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise in unwavering support of 
legislation that protects a woman's right to make her own decisions 
regarding her own body. This includes H.R. 8296, the Women's Health 
Protection Act of 2022, and H.R. 8297, the Ensuring Access to Abortion 
Act of 2022. Women should have the right to make their own health care 
decisions; a right that was stripped away with the Supreme Court's 
decision to ignore almost fifty years of precedent and overturn Roe v. 
Wade.
  In my home state of Michigan, a draconian 1931 abortion ban--with no 
exceptions for rape or incest--is only held back by a preliminary 
injunction. If the ninety-one-year-old law goes into effect, millions 
of Michiganders will lose their reproductive freedom. I've said it once 
before, and I will say it again, abortion bans don't ban abortions, 
they ban safe abortions.
  The right to bodily autonomy, privacy, and even travel is at stake. 
Passing these two pieces of legislation is a critical step toward 
protecting the constitutional rights of millions of Americans. Now more 
than ever, the Senate needs to pass both bills so that women can make 
the best healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.

                          ____________________