[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S3350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                Abortion

  Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I rise today to speak on behalf of 
American women, our fundamental rights, and our freedom to make our own 
healthcare decisions.
  It is shocking that in this day and age that we have to actually 
stand up and fight for something as basic as making our own 
reproductive health decisions, not a bunch of politicians, not a bunch 
of judges but women making our own healthcare decisions.
  Thanks to a radically conservative Supreme Court that we now have, 
reproductive freedom is no longer a constitutional right in the United 
States of America--no longer a constitutional right in the United 
States of America after 50 years.
  Today's daughters and granddaughters have fewer freedoms than their 
grandmothers did, and, for the record, we are furious. Want to know 
just how furious? Well, in Michigan, our State could soon revert back 
to a 1931 law that makes abortion at any stage a felony--no exceptions 
for rape or incest; putting people in jail, potentially; women going to 
jail; doctors going to jail. Who knows how far this would go?
  Well, the people of Michigan aren't going to stand for that, and a 
group called Reproductive Freedom for All has gotten to work. These 
passionate advocates and volunteers from all across Michigan--west 
side, east side, up north, down south in Michigan--have collected more 
than 750,000 signatures to put reproductive freedom on the ballot for 
Michigan women this November.
  It is the most signatures ever collected for a ballot measure in 
Michigan, twice as many as is actually needed to put the ballot 
proposal on the November ballot--the most ever. Madam President, 
750,000 people have come forward to sign petitions to give them the 
right to vote, to protect their reproductive freedoms. So our freedoms 
are on the ballot in November.
  Now, we also know that we have to continue to do everything we can 
right now, both at the State level and the Federal level, because 
waiting isn't an option. Women's lives and people's livelihoods are on 
the line today, and it has revealed a stark contrast when we look at 
the actions that are being taken or not taken.
  Democrats are standing with women to protect our reproductive 
freedoms. As of June 1, Democrats in five States have already enacted 
laws--new laws--protecting access to legal abortion, and 62 pieces of 
legislation have been introduced in 17 States across America to protect 
reproductive freedom. Vermont, California, and Arizona have joined 
Michigan in pursuing ballot initiatives to enshrine reproductive 
freedom in their State constitutions.
  So men and women will have the opportunity there, the freedom to vote 
to protect their reproductive freedoms. Democratic Governors have 
issued executive orders and taken other actions to protect access to 
reproductive healthcare. The Biden administration signed an Executive 
order directing Agencies to protect access to medical care and is 
providing legal support to patients and healthcare providers.
  Meanwhile, Republicans are doing everything they can--everything they 
can--to stand in the way of women who are simply trying to access basic 
healthcare--basic healthcare, what is best for them, with their own 
faith, their own family, the counsel of their doctors, the capacity for 
women to make their own decisions, again, not a bunch of politicians, 
not a bunch of judges. It is the United States of America. This is not 
about what decisions are made; it is about who makes them: the 
government or women.
  Now, Republicans are saying the government at every level. Fifteen 
States have already banned abortion, and several more are expected to 
follow soon. A clinic in Cleveland, OH, a State where care has been 
severely restricted, is now sending its patients to Detroit.

  These women have to drive 2\1/2\ hours, at least, to receive basic 
healthcare. And now some people want to take away their car keys. And 
to be clear, Republicans--Republican elected officials--want to take 
away their car keys.
  Republican lawmakers in some States are pursuing legislation to 
prevent people from traveling to another State to receive reproductive 
healthcare. In America, people are being banned from driving to another 
State to be able to get the healthcare that they need, oftentimes, in 
very serious emergency situations, tragedies.
  Think about that for a moment. Republicans, who fancy themselves the 
party of freedom, are trying to pass laws that would prevent an Ohio 
woman from driving to Michigan for healthcare in America.
  The Freedom to Travel for Healthcare Act introduced by my friend 
Senator Cortez Masto would have protected that right. It would protect 
that right, and last week we tried to pass it.
  Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have blocked it, but we will 
keep trying. We will keep doing everything we can to get enough people 
who are pro-choice, who respect privacy, respect women in this Chamber 
to be able to make that happen.
  So, this week, we are trying a different approach to protect people's 
reproductive freedom. Senator Smith and Senator Murray have introduced 
legislation that I am pleased to cosponsor as well. It would provide 
$550 million a year in permanent funding for title X family planning 
programs.
  Now, let me remind everyone that title X funding can't be used to 
provide abortion. This is about basic healthcare, yearly Pap smears, 
OB/GYN visits, and the capacity to work with a clinic to get the basic 
care that you need and the basic birth control that you need.
  It prevents unplanned pregnancies in the first place by providing 
affordable birth control and other reproductive healthcare to people 
who need it. We should all be able to come together. Given my 
colleagues across the aisle and how passionate they are about 
preventing abortions, I expect that they will eagerly support this 
commonsense bill when, in the next couple of days, a motion is made to 
pass it.
  Birth control is basic healthcare. We shouldn't need to be here 
defending something that nearly 90 percent of American women use at 
some point in their lives. But we saw what happened to Roe, and we have 
since seen how eager Republicans at all levels are to constrain 
reproductive freedom. So here we are.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation coming before us 
this week. Democrats are standing with women. We respect women. We 
understand that women need to make their own decisions, and Democrats 
understand that this is about freedom--the freedom to decide for 
ourselves, in whatever circumstance that we are in, whatever tragedy, 
whatever is happening that women need to be able to make our own basic 
healthcare decisions and not have the government coming in to regulate 
what is happening for women.
  So it is time for Republicans to join us on this legislation, basic 
legislation on title X that will ensure that there is support for basic 
reproductive healthcare. Again, we are talking about annual visits. We 
are talking about OB/GYN visits for women. We are talking about basic 
birth control. I certainly hope that my Republican colleagues are not 
going to say no to basic healthcare, reproductive healthcare for women.
  I hope Republican colleagues will join us.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.