On the 43rd anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined supporters at the Planned Parenthood Seattle Health Center to condemn continued threats to women's constitutionally protected reproductive health care rights. They were joined by a women's health physician and leaders from Planned Parenthood.
"I believe strongly that a right means nothing without the ability to exercise that right," said Murray. "Efforts like the extreme anti-abortion law in Texas, which undermine women's constitutionally protected right to make their own health care decisions, are nothing new. Women have been fighting back for generations. We're going to keep fighting back now. We're not going back to the days when, because women had less control over their own bodies, they had less equality and less opportunity."
"In the more than four decades since Roe v. Wade, it has become clear that some will stop at nothing to obstruct women's reproductive rights," said DelBene. "Unfortunately, the Texas law is just one of many attacks women are facing. The current Congress has voted 20 times to limit women's health care choices. And three months ago, Republicans even established another taxpayer-funded Select Committee focused only on attacking women's health. As an appointed member of that Committee, I can tell you Republicans are already using it as a political weapon to intimidate health care providers across our country. Women deserve better. They deserve the freedom to make their own health care choices."
"On this 43rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood is proud to stand with Senator Murray and Rep. DelBene in opposing harmful attacks on women's health. Whether it's in Congress, the Supreme Court, or here in Washington state, Planned Parenthood and our allies stand vigilant against efforts to chip away access to abortion, birth control, and other important health care services. We've come too far to turn back now," said Christine Charbonneau, CEO of Planned Parenthood NW/HI.
The Supreme Court is currently considering Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, a case involving an extreme anti-abortion Texas law that represents the most comprehensive challenge to Roe v. Wade in nearly a decade. Last month, Murray led a group of 160 members of the Senate and House, including DelBene, in filing an amicus brief in the case which argued that the Texas law undermines Roe v. Wade.
Photos by Amie Marie Hood.