Bicameral resolution honors abortion providers and clinic staff by designating March 10, 2024 as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day”

Text of Resolution (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), and Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) led 24 of their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral resolution honoring abortion providers and all staff by designating March 10, 2024 as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day.” The Abortion Provider Appreciation Day resolution affirms that abortion providers are valued as they provide reproductive care despite pressures, restrictions, political interference and threats to their personal safety. It also highlights the essential role that these providers play in providing safe access to reproductive care, including abortions. The introduction of this resolution follows a 2022 report by the National Abortion Federation which shows a rise in major incidents like stalking and death threats directed at patients, abortion care providers, and volunteers.

“Every day that Republicans attack our reproductive rights is another day that abortion providers are put at risk,” said Rep. Pressley. “Abortion care is health care, and we must recognize the providers who persevere to provide that essential, life-saving care. I am proud to reintroduce this resolution to designate March 10th as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day” to stand in solidarity and honor the work of abortion care providers like Dr. Gunn and so many more threatened by anti-abortion violence. Congressional intent is important, and we must continue to work to protect and restore abortion care access and ensure our patients and providers are not criminalized.”

“Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights for people across the country continue to be attacked and the challenges faced by abortion providers, staff, and patients continue to grow,” said Senator Hirono. “I am proud to reintroduce this resolution to honor these essential reproductive health care providers who help patients receive the high-quality care they deserve, even in the face of violence, threats, and intimidation. On Abortion Providers Appreciation Day, we honor the bravery of these health professionals across our country and reaffirm our commitment to protecting access to abortion care for all.”

“I’m proud to again lead this resolution with Senator Hirono honoring the abortion providers and clinic staff who help families receive the safe and quality health care that they need,” said Senator Peters. “Their bravery and dedication deserve our recognition always, but especially right now, as they face threats and attacks from politicians and judges for delivering critical and often lifesaving care. I will never stop fighting to protect these providers and the women and families that they serve.”

The resolution was inspired by Dr. David Gunn, an abortion provider who was killed outside his clinic in Pensacola, Florida by a white supremacist and anti-abortion extremist in the first known instance of the murder of an abortion provider. To honor his legacy, Abortion Provider Appreciation Day was established on March 10, 1996 as a day to show appreciation for the essential, high-quality care that abortion providers and staff provide to their communities and to celebrate their courage and dedication. 

The Abortion Provider Appreciation Day Resolution demonstrates a commitment to abortion providers and staff by:

• Recognizing March 10, 2024 as “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day” to celebrate the courage of abortion providers and the high-quality care they provide to patients and families across the country;
• Lauding communities who proudly support their abortion providers and clinic staff;
• Affirming the commitment of Congress to ensuring the safety of these health professionals, their ability to continue providing the essential reproductive care their patients need, and the right of patients to access abortion care regardless of where they live, free from violence and threats;
• Condemning the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States to limit abortion care which had a devastating impact on abortion providers and the communities they care for, threatening their livelihoods; and
• Declaring a vision for a future liberated from all abortion restrictions and bans and affirming the commitment of Congress to working toward this future with providers, patients, advocates, and their communities.

The Abortion Provider Appreciation Day Resolution is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Federation of America; the National Women’s Law Center; Physicians for Reproductive Health; Power to Decide; Guttmacher Institute; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; Reproductive Freedom for All; National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice; National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association; National Partnership for Women & Families; In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda; Center for Reproductive Rights; and URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity.

“Every day, abortion providers across the country provide time-sensitive and essential health care to patients — in confidence and without judgment. They do so while navigating escalating political attacks, medical disinformation, and threats on their lives and the lives of their families,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and & CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Abortion Provider Appreciation Day honors all these doctors, nurses, clinicians, counselors, and health care staffers for their commitment to caring for their communities. These heroes are protecting the lives and health of millions of people and their families, and we are deeply grateful for their expertise and compassion. Planned Parenthood will never stop fighting for abortion providers’ ability to offer care without harassment and persecution. On this Abortion Providers Appreciation Day, we thank them, we support them, and we honor them.”

“Today, and every day, it is so important to recognize and celebrate abortion providers and clinic staff, as well as to honor the life and legacy of Dr. David Gunn,” said Katie O’Connor, Director of Federal Abortion Policy at the National Women’s Law Center. “In the midst of an ongoing reproductive health care crisis, abortion providers and clinic staff bravely show up to work, providing vital help to patients while facing harassment, threats, and even violence. Their courage and compassion inspire us all to continue to fight for everyone’s right to control their own bodies, lives, and futures.”

“In honor of Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, I am so grateful for the leadership of Senator Mazie Hirono along with co-leads, Senator Gary Peters and Representative Ayanna Pressley, as they recognize the unwavering commitment abortion providers have to their local communities as well as individuals who reside in communities where they are forced to travel to receive care,” said Dr. Jamila Perritt, President & CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health. “While we continue to navigate the ongoing and devastating effects of abortion bans across the country, it is so important to celebrate the compassion, creativity, and dedication of abortion providers in this moment. Abortion providers center the needs and hopes of people seeking care; they trust their patients to know what is best for them and their families and support and respect their decisions. Abortion providers are worthy of the trust and respect of politicians, too, but tragically are often met with violence, vitriol, and political theater. Today and every day, I celebrate and honor the critical care of abortion providers.”

In addition to Representative Pressley, the resolution is cosponsored in the House by Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Cori Bush (MO-01), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Deborah K. Ross (D-NC), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ).

In addition to Senators Hirono and Peters, the resolution is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tina Smith (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM).

A copy of the resolution can be found here.

In her time serving in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect fundamental reproductive and sexual health care rights. 

• Rep. Pressley is the lead co-sponsor of the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available—without stigma, shame or systemic barriers—for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background.
• Rep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere. 
• Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance.
• Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. 
• Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.
• In August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control.
• In May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay.
• In May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs.
• In April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts.
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally.
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff. 
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley 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.
• In September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s inaction on SB-8, Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women’s Health Protection Act. 
• In April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023.
• 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.
• As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley has led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden’s FY2022 budget.
• In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.
• In August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care. 
• In January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans’ harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. 
• In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade.
• In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription. 
• In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.