***WATCH: Senator Murray’s Remarks***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, delivered the following remarks at Senate Democrats’ weekly press conference on Senate Democrats continuing push to put Republicans on the record and force them to answer for their radical and extreme positions on reproductive rights. The press conference came ahead of Senators Murray, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) seeking to pass via unanimous consent a series of bills to protect women’s fundamental freedoms—legislation to help more health care professionals get the training and education they need to meet Americans’ dire reproductive health care needs, to protect doctors providing legal abortion care from Republicans’ nonstop attacks, and to protect the freedom to travel across state lines to access needed abortion care. On Wednesday, Senators will vote on Senator Murray’s Reproductive Freedom for Women Act. Video of Senator Murray’s remarks is available HERE.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:
“Well, Republicans are desperately trying to rewrite their abortion record.
“Donald Trump, a convicted felon and a liar, is trying to tell us he doesn’t know anything about Project 2025—the playbook that was written by some of his top advisors.
“He may as well be saying he has no idea who named Trump Tower.
“We all know Donald Trump ended Roe v. Wade. We all know Republicans championed that for decades. And we know that Trump will absolutely ban abortion nationwide.
“Remember when he said he had a health care plan—over and over again—and there was no plan? Just a push to tear down the ACA and rip away coverage from millions.
“Pay attention to what they do—not what they say. And we all have seen the horrific fallout because of Donald Trump’s actions—women denied abortion care even when their health is at stake, forced to travel thousands of miles for care, and dragged through a pregnancy against their will.
“No one is going to forget. Especially when Republicans continue to stand with the most radical anti-abortion extremists at every turn.
“I’m not just talking about their vote against restoring Roe. Republicans here in Congress signed briefs against medication abortion, and abortion for medical emergencies. They have supported extreme fetal personhood bills, and opposed the right to birth control and IVF.
“Where does it end? Is there a right they will not trample for anti-abortion extremists?
“Today, we are going to see if we can protect a woman’s right to cross state lines for health care; to protect a doctor’s right to provide legal care to any patient that comes to them—again, in states where abortion is legal; and ensure more health professionals can get critical training in comprehensive reproductive health care, which can save lives.
“This is basic, common-sense stuff. So, the response should be pretty telling.
“After all, how are Republicans going to pretend they think it should just be state politicians overruling women—already an extreme position by the way—but how do you say that, and then have no problem with targeting doctors in states like mine where abortion is legal, or trapping women who would travel out of state for care?
“If Republicans block these bills today, I don’t know how they are going to try and explain that away. But I can tell you right now, it is not going to work.
“And finally, tomorrow, we will vote on the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, a bill I introduced alongside every Democratic woman in the Senate, and Leader Schumer.
“Our bill is simple: it’s a plain up or down vote on whether you support women being able to make their own reproductive health care decisions.
“It doesn’t force anything, it doesn’t cost anything, it’s a half-page bill saying women should have the basic freedom to make their own decisions about their health care. Seriously—that is all it is.
“So once again, we will see where Democrats and Republicans stand on a very simple question. Thank you.”
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