Letter to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, Charles Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader of the House, Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader - Governor Lamont Joins Coalition of 17 Governors Urging Congressional Leaders To Take Immediate Action Protecting Reproductive Rights

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, and Leader McConnell:

We write today to urge you to take immediate action to protect reproductive rights across the nation. In light of disturbing reports regarding a draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization revealing the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade -- which has long guaranteed rights Americans have relied upon for almost half a century -- it is imperative that Congress acts swiftly to ensure that all Americans continue to have meaningful access to reproductive healthcare and abortion.

Reproductive healthcare decisions are deeply personal and should be made by patients in consultation with their healthcare providers, not by politicians. Despite the widespread support for reproductive freedom, in many states across the nation, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs that reflects the draft opinion would immediately limit access to reproductive healthcare and, in some states, could even criminalize abortion, ending constitutional rights that have been recognized for nearly 50 years.

Physicians take an oath to provide medically accurate information to ensure their patients can make informed decisions about their reproductive health and their healthcare, and patients should have the right to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions based on that information. Indeed, the vast majority of Americans agree that these decisions should be in the hands of patients, who can consult with their doctors, families, and faith.

On Sept. 24, 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755 and S. 1975). The U.S. Senate has announced they will hold a vote on legislation to codify the right to an abortion in law. We, the undersigned governors, call on honorable members of the Senate from both parties to pass this measure and for Congress to immediately take other steps needed to codify the protections prescribed in Roe v. Wade.

The consequences of overturning Roe v. Wade for millions across the nation cannot be overstated. Our collective responsibility to defend access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, has never been more important. Overturning Roe will turn back the clock on reproductive health, and Congress must immediately take action to ensure that our nation does not go backward and that the rights of all Americans to access reproductive healthcare and abortion continue to be protected.

Sincerely,