Asst. Leader Neguse: House Democrats “will continue to put families first, to defend fundamental freedoms, and to protect critical care for the American people.”

May 8, 2024

Washington, D.C. — Today, House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse was joined by leaders from the Pro-Choice Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Caucus for his monthly news conference. The Members spoke out on recent Republican-led attacks on fertility care and reproductive rights, pointing to extreme anti-abortion policies in Florida, Ohio, Alabama, and Arizona that are endangering health programs, criminalizing abortion services, and allowing for the prosecution of doctors and nurses.

Assistant Leader Neguse: “Good morning. Thank you all so much for joining us this morning. Proud to be joined by leaders from across the Pro-Choice Caucus, the Democratic Women's Caucus, and the House Democratic Caucus for today's important call to action.

“As you all know, right now, this Congress is on pace to be the least productive since the Civil War. And that is because rather than tackling the real issues of importance – consequential challenges that we face – Republicans here in Congress and across the country continue to be relentless in their attempts to drag Americans back to the laws of the last century.

“Just take a look at the current state of affairs, as you'll hear from my distinguished colleagues gathered today. In Alabama, where conservative judges issued a ruling that put patients and doctors conducting IVF treatment at risk of criminal prosecution. You'll hear from Representative Wild and DPCC Co-Chair Trahan, who have been fighting against this disastrous and dangerous ruling here in the United States Congress

“In Florida, the latest in one of 17 states that either bans abortions entirely or at six weeks of pregnancy. You’ll hear from the Chairwoman of the Democratic Women's Caucus, from the state of Florida, who has talked so eloquently on the Floor about the dark day that that particular law has now ushered into her state.

“In Arizona, where the Civil War-era abortion ban was scheduled to take effect in June. Banning what is often lifesaving care for most of the summer, or at least until a now passed law to repeal the 1864 total abortion ban that goes into effect this fall.

“And what's made this all even more staggering is the blatant hypocrisy of House Republicans, many of whom rushed to the cameras to profess their support for IVF treatment and fertility care in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling. But still cosponsor legislation today that would codify the decision that they claim to oppose. Their priorities are out of step with the American public.

“Four and five Americans say that IVF should be legal. Two and three Americans oppose a nationwide ban on abortion. And that is why House Democrats will continue to fight for reproductive care for all women, to put families first, to defend fundamental freedoms, and to protect critical care for the American people.”

The Assistant Minority Leader was joined by Rep. Diana DeGette, Co-Chair of the House Pro-Choice Caucus (PCC); Rep. Lois Frankel, Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus; Rep. Lori Trahan, Co-Chair of the DPCC; Rep. Joyce Beatty, Democratic Women’s Caucus White House Liaison; and Rep. Susan Wild, Member of the PCC.

Rep. DeGette: “The current Speaker of the House said that overturning Roe vs. Wade was good for our nation and a joyous day. The leader of the Republican Party just said that states should be able to monitor pregnant women and prosecute them if they get pregnant. [...] We're going to stand up against it, because the vast majority of Americans believe that everybody should have the freedom to choose the health care they want, and that includes abortion care. Those decisions belong to patients. They don't belong to anybody else, particularly, politicians.”

Rep. Beatty: “House Republicans are clear regarding reproductive health care. They resist it and restrict it at every turn, endangering American lives and families. We believe as House Democrats, we oppose them, and we want the record to be clear. We will continue in this fight protecting women’s health and the rights of all American women and their health care providers.”

Rep. Frankel: “1 in 3 women in this country who are childbearing age now live in states where abortions are banned or unreasonably conditioned, putting many of them hundreds of miles from the care they need. That's more than 25 million people. And it includes my home state of Florida, where a six-week ban was just put into place, and that's before most people even know they're pregnant. And it's created a new, threatening chapter in the South.”

Rep. Trahan: “House Republicans are content with IVF living in limbo. They're okay with women living with less rights than their mothers and grandmothers. And they're silent when Donald Trump voices support for republican states surveilling pregnant women and punishing them if they seek abortion care. I want to be clear about this, we will not let Republicans off the hook for their extreme position that's completely out of touch with the American people. You either believe decisions about a woman's health are between her and her doctor or you believe that politicians are better suited to make those calls. House Democrats know where we stand, and we will not equivocate.”

Rep. Wild: “As a mother and a lawyer who used to represent health care providers, and now as a sitting member of Congress, I've always believed that private medical decisions be squarely between a patient and her or his doctor. And I say it that way specifically because no one questions when a man is in a doctor's office, that the medical decisions that are made should be between him and his doctor. It's only when it's a woman in a hospital, doctor's office, health care providers office that that becomes an issue. And she is entitled to also have those decisions be made only between her and her health care provider.”

Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed HERE.

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