Senator Murray to Dr. Christina Francis, CEO of AAPLOG: “It has also been well-documented how your organization is working behind the scenes with Republican lawmakers to redefine certain kinds of contraceptives as abortions so you can ultimately ban those types of contraception. I think that is incredibly alarming, and it’s really important for people to understand that the Republican minority has specifically invited you to this hearing today, despite those dangerous positions.”
ICYMI: Senator Murray’s Opening Remarks at HELP Committee Hearing, “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America”
***VIDEO of Senator Murray’s Q&A with witnesses HERE***
Washington, D.C. – This morning, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired a HELP Committee hearing, “The Assault on Women’s Freedoms: How Abortion Bans Have Created a Health Care Nightmare Across America” about the tremendous harm, chaos, and heartbreak the Dobbs decision and Republican abortion bans have created over the past two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Information on the witnesses and their testimonies can be found HERE.
In her Q&A at the hearing, Murray pressed Dr. Christina Francis, Chief Executive Officer of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) on some of the anti-abortion activist group’s dangerously extreme positions, including their position that IUDs and Plan B constitute abortion and should be banned.
“Dr. Francis, I have a question for you and I want a simple yes or no. Do you believe that women should have access to Plan B? Yes or No,” Murray asked.
“I believe that women deserve to have accurate information about their healthcare,” Dr. Francis said.
“I’m not asking you that question. Do you believe that women should have access to Plan B,” Murray asked.
“I think that women should be given any medication under the supervision of a physician,” Dr. Francis said.
“So you support access to Plan B,” Murray asked.
“I support women having access to accurate information and care from a physician,” Dr. Francis said.
“Do you believe that women should have access to medication abortion, just yes or no,” Murray asked.
“Chemical abortions are dangerous, high risk drugs,” Dr. Francis said.
“So no,” Murray said. “Do you believe women should have access to IUDs, yes or no?”
“I believe that again that women should receive comprehensive healthcare under the direction of a physician,” Dr. Francis said.
“Access to IUDs, do you believe women should have access to IUDs? Yes or no,” Murray asked.
“I believe that women should have access to OB-GYN physicians who can counsel them about all of their options,” Dr. Francis said.
“I’ll take that as a no. And I want to ask you for the record today—do you think IUDs and emergency contraceptives are abortifacients? Yes or No,” Murray asked
“So if you look at the package inserts such as the cooper IUD, it actually clearly states that they do prevent implantation even if fertilization has occurred which would classify that as an abortifacient, yes, per the package insert,” Dr. Francis said.
“I just want to for the record say, Dr. Francis, your organization has taken the mind-boggling position, in defiance of nearly all medical experts, that abortion is never necessary to save a woman’s life,” Murray said. “According to resources that were put out by your organization, you recommend that in cases of dangerous pregnancy complications, like a massive placental abruption, women should be forced to labor for 24 hours—even if that means being treated with blood transfusions in intensive care, and even if their pregnancy is nonviable in the first place—just so they can deliver an ‘intact fetus.’
“It has also been well-documented how your organization is working behind the scenes with Republican lawmakers to redefine certain kinds of contraceptives as abortions—so you can ultimately ban those types of contraception. I think that is incredibly alarming, and it’s really important for people to understand that the Republican minority has specifically invited you to this hearing today, despite those dangerous positions.
“For the information of all Senators, we will be voting this week on the Right to Contraception, and I hope everyone truly thinks about what that means for women and how it would change our entire country and women’s rights moving forward across the board. I just wanted to make that very clear,” Murray concluded.
Last summer, AAPLOG published a “Glossary of Medical Terms” instructing doctors to use “life-affirming medical terms” instead of actual medical terminology—terms like “life limiting” for a fetus with a fatal abnormality, or “pre-viable” for a pregnancy that is clearly nonviable. In practice guidelines published by the organization, AAPLOG recommends that in cases of dangerous pregnancy complications, like a massive placental abruption, women should be made to labor for up to 24 hours — even if they must be treated with blood transfusions in intensive care — in lieu of being given an abortion, in order to deliver “an intact fetal body,” despite the very clear danger to a woman’s health and life the longer she remains pregnant.
At today’s hearing, Senator Murray also asked witness Madysyn Anderson, an abortion patient from Houston, Texas, about her experience being forced to leave her state and drive 700 miles to get the health care she needed. More on Madysyn’s story from ABC HERE.
“First off, thank you so much for being here today and telling your story. I know it is not easy and takes a lot of courage to be here in front of all these people to talk about something so personal, so we really appreciate it,” Murray said. “You touched upon in your remarks the many hoops you had to jump through just to be able to get your abortion, including traveling over 700 miles round trip, away from your home in Texas, to Mississippi. Talk a little bit about how you felt when you were forced to drive 13 hours out of state to get care—what was going through your head?
“There was a lot going through my mind when I was having to go through the travel. Like I said in my testimony, I was extremely anxious and sleep deprived. A little bit delirious in the part of wanting to sleep and feel relaxed. I felt very on edge constantly. Fearing what would be thrown at me next,” Madysyn said.
“How did you feel after receiving care in Mississippi on the way back,” Murray asked.
“When I was able to get my abortion and receive care, that was the first time I was able to sleep more than three hours. I woke up and I looked at my mom and I started crying because I was like I got to sleep. I can finally breathe. This huge weight just lifted off my chest,” Madysyn said.
“It was your life and your choice,” Murray said.
“Absolutely,” Madysn said.
Right now, about 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in the U.S. live in states with abortion bans. 14 states have a complete ban on abortion and twenty-one states ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe. As of December 2023, nearly one in five patients have to travel out of state for abortion care, and one in five women of reproductive age in states where abortion is banned say that either they or someone they personally know has had difficulty obtaining an abortion. With increased restrictions on abortion care, millions of women are relying on medication abortion for access—in 2023, medication abortion accounted for 63 percent of all abortions in the U.S. up from 53 percent in 2020. Health care providers in states with abortion bans who specialize in high-risk pregnancies are leaving their practices out of fear of criminal prosecution, and states with bans saw a 10.5% decline in applicants for OB-GYN residency in 2023, compared to 2022. A 2023 KFF study found that the majority of OB-GYNs feel the Dobbs decision has worsened their ability to care for patients with miscarriages and other pregnancy-related medical emergencies. Compared to states where abortion is accessible, states with abortion bans or restricted access have higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, especially among women of color.
Senator Murray is a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade nearly two years ago. Murray led her colleagues at the very outset of this Congress to make crystal clear that Senate Democrats are continuing to fight to protect every American’s reproductive rights and will be a firewall against Republicans’ continued attacks on women’s rights—and that’s exactly what she’s doing now. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; she also co-leads the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore the right to abortion nationwide. Ahead of the one year anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Senator Murray led Senate Democrats in seeking unanimous consent on the Senate floor for four common-sense bills to protect women’s fundamental freedoms, and in January she led her colleagues in hosting a “State of Abortion Rights” briefing with women who have suffered firsthand from Republican abortion bans.
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