Women's Reproductive Rights

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. LEE of California. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank Chairwoman Maloney for her tremendous leadership. Also, I just have to thank her for her encouragement for myself, Congresswoman Jayapal, and Congresswoman Bush to really step out and talk about something that I personally have never talked about ever because it was my own personal business.

As my mother told me, that is a decision that I made between her and myself, and now, it looks like that liberty could be taken away.

But even in the day--and this was way before Roe v. Wade, I had an abortion. The gentlewoman gave me a chance to talk about it, which is something I would not do because of what I just said. It was a private decision. But once these draconian laws started passing in the States, and once these trigger laws were put into place, and once I saw what was taking place, I was compelled to talk about it because once we tell these stories, what I learned was that there are so many people who have similar stories, men and women who came to me. People I have known for 30, 40 years came to me, whispered to me: I had the same experience. I was afraid to talk about it.

What I am finding now is that more people are beginning to share their experiences. I tell you one thing: In addition to the privacy issue, it was about stigma.

I was raised in a Catholic school, in the Catholic Church. Of course, this is a huge decision anyone has to make. Nobody wants to have to go through this trauma. But I did, and so many others have.

I thank the gentlewoman for giving us a chance because that helped me personally. Now, we have come to such a time as this to really help others and to really highlight why the end of Roe could poise us to see the abandonment of 50 years of precedent and the first time a constitutional right has ever been taken away. That is unbelievable. It would deny millions of Americans access to abortions.

We need to, however, reassure Americans tonight that Roe is still the law of the land. Abortion is still legal. But the threat of this draft opinion highlights why Congress preemptively should enshrine Roe into Federal law by abolishing the filibuster, yes, and by passing the Women's Health Protection Act. This really is about our personal liberty and our reproductive freedom. Nothing less, quite frankly, can be tolerated in a democracy.

There is a whole generation of people who do not know life before Roe. Again, going back to the day when I was in the 11th grade, I know a life before Roe.

My mother, fortunately, had a friend. I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, and we moved to California. She flew me to Texas because once I made that decision, her friend knew a clinic in Mexico.

Let me tell you, I was fortunate enough to survive the procedure, Chairwoman Maloney, but it is not lost on me that so many women who look like me were dying. Afterward, I thank God that I survived because I knew so many people haven't.

Abortion bans affect everyone, but their impacts fall the hardest on people of color, people working to make ends meet, young people, the LGBTQ community, people in rural communities, people who just don't have enough money to travel to go to another State.

Study after study has shown that denying people access to abortion has devastating and long-lasting implications for their lives. I reiterate: people with money will have access to abortions. We are here tonight because everyone, no matter where they live or how much money they make or their background or their race or their gender identity, everyone should be able to make their own decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures.

Finally, another part of this that is just outrageous is the fact that these decisions about our own healthcare could be criminalized. Can you imagine if that would happen? The thought of this is chilling. It is chilling.

Even though it is a terrifying moment, it is an urgent moment. The public supports Roe v. Wade. Now is the time to rise up--yes--to galvanize and to raise our voices about our constitutional rights that are about to be taken away if we don't do what we need to do.

Also, it is a slippery slope because, as I have been saying: If they come for me today, they are coming for you tomorrow. This is the beginning of the erosion of rights, such as voting rights, disability rights, LGBTQ rights, you just name it.

That is not going to happen because I have a lot of hope in the American people. This may be a time when we have to regroup and fight harder. That is exactly what we are doing. I want to applaud all of our organizations out there who have been so adamant and so vigilant and prepared for this day.

We couldn't be here tonight talking about what next if it weren't for them. I just have to take a moment to salute all of our grassroots groups who have been working day and night helping people, providing access, raising money, doing everything they can do to make sure that everyone who decides to have an abortion has access to safe and legal abortions.

I thank the chairwoman for holding this Special Order. This is a moment that we all have to speak truth, we have to tell the truth about what is at stake. Also, it gives us a chance to tell the truth about who we are. As Members of Congress, we are people who have been through many of the same challenges that everyone has been through.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and courage.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source