Congresswoman Stansbury Hosts Reproductive Rights Roundtable

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) convened a roundtable with New Mexico-based reproductive rights advocates and organizations to discuss the impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision on their ongoing work to protect abortion access and reproductive health care.

In June, the Supreme Court issued Dobbs, overturning Roe v. Wade andupending five decades of precedent protecting the constitutional right to an abortion. During the roundtable, Rep. Stansbury heard from health care providers and community organizations about how the decision has strained resources for New Mexicans seeking reproductive health care and the need for federal protections and funding for holistic abortion care nationwide.

"I'm proud to stand with local advocates and organizations fighting for reproductive health care and abortion access," said Rep. Stansbury. "Because of the Supreme Court's decision to undermine decades of legal precedent and overturn the protections afforded by Roe v. Wade, the lives and well-being of millions of women and pregnant people across our nation hang in the balance. Every day, I will continue to work alongside our communities and my colleagues in Congress to protect access to safe and legal abortion for New Mexicans -- it's time for the Senate to do their part to protect the health and wellbeing of our communities by passing the Women's Health Protection Act to codify abortion rights into law."

The organizations at the roundtable included Indigenous Women Rising, Southwest Women's Options, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Tewa Women United, and the Mariposa Fund.

In 2021, Rep. Stansbury was part of the majority in the New Mexico State Legislature that voted to pass legislation that repealed the state's antiquated abortion ban from the books, protecting access to reproductive health care for New Mexicans and communities across the region.

Earlier this year, Rep. Stansbury cosponsored and helped pass the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act (H.R. 8297) and the Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 8296), legislation that would protect the constitutional right to travel across state lines to access health care and codify abortion rights into law nationwide.

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