“This case is another emboldened right-wing judge trying to take away our bodily autonomy.”

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’ Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential.

Rep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA’s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills.

A full transcript of her speech is below and full video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Floor Speech on Medication Abortion
U.S. House of Representatives
March 9, 2023

Thank you to my colleague and my dear friend from Pennsylvania for making this Special Order Hour a priority. I know your constituents and the people of this country appreciate it.

I rise today on behalf of the people across our nation seeking access to abortion care.

While there are many forces and people at work who seek to spread lies and misinformation, let me set the record straight.

Abortion care is routine medical care. Abortion care is safe. Abortion care is a fundamental human right. Abortion care is health care.

And one in four women in this country seek it. Women that you know, love, work and worship with.

Right now, a pending court case in Texas aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation.

Over 40% of abortion care in this nation is a medication abortion. A simple and safe protocol where patients are prescribed two medications to end a pregnancy.

A single man, a far-right Trump appointed judge in Texas, stands to make a decision that could strike down the FDA’s approval of one of these drugs and restrict access to care to millions. A frightening precedent.

Imagine for a moment if a judge was poised to strike down access to another safe and effective drug routinely used as part of medical care, like Tylenol, or Advil. We would call it out for exactly what it is: inappropriate overreach. Overreach that will cause harm.

Mifepristone was first approved by the FDA more than 20 years ago, and has since been used by more than 5 million people to safely end their pregnancies both in their homes and at health centers.

Earlier this year, following dedicated advocacy by myself, my colleagues, and advocates across our nation, the Biden Administration permanently lifted in-person dispensing requirements from Mifepristone, allowing retail pharmacies to stock the medication and further expand access to medication abortion.

This medication is safe and necessary. Not only should abortion care be available, but what type of abortion care a patient receives should be decided between a patient and their doctor. Not some partisan court.

At a time when abortion access is already out of reach for millions after the fall of Roe, taking mifepristone off the market would further compromise abortion access across the country, including in states where the right to an abortion is protected, like my home state of Massachusetts.

This case is another emboldened right-wing judge trying to take away our bodily autonomy. Again, mifepristone is safe. It is effective.

For people across our nation seeking care, you can go to abortionfinder.org to navigate how to get the medical care which you seek.

This is a deeply volatile and hostile time to be a person in America in need of reproductive health care. But I will never stop pressing for our full humanity and bodily autonomy.

My body, my choice. Your body, your choice.

Thank you. I yield.

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