Shaheen Statement after Senate Republicans Block Vote to Codify Roe into Federal Law
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked a vote to begin consideration of the Women’s Health Protection Act, landmark legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. Earlier today, Shaheen delivered remarks on the Senate floor urging her fellow Senators to vote in favor of codifying Roe.
“Every Senate Republican just made clear they don’t trust women to make decisions about their own health and bodies. With the Supreme Court poised to strike down Roe, Senate Republicans are helping lay the groundwork to move our country backwards and condemn the futures of millions of women. Let’s be clear: this decision won’t end abortions, it will only make them dangerous and difficult for vulnerable women,” said Senator Shaheen. “Roe v. Wade is one of the most important decisions of our lifetime, and codifying it is essential to protect women’s reproductive freedom and autonomy. Like women across the nation, I was outraged by the draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court indicating that my granddaughters and millions of women in the United States may soon live in a world without Roe. Now is the time for us to stand up and make clear that politicians have no place interfering in the most intimate, private decisions a woman can make. The eyes of history are watching as fundamental rights hang in the balance for generations of women to come.”
Shaheen is an unrelenting advocate for women’s reproductive rights. On Monday, she and the delegation held a press conference with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England to discuss what’s at stake for women’s reproductive health in New Hampshire if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. For years, Shaheen has fought to expand coverage of women’s preventative care, including through her legislation to reduce the cost of contraception for servicewomen and dependents in military families. In March, she joined HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in Manchester for a meeting with New Hampshire family planning providers amid continued attacks from State and congressional Republicans, including the abortion ban and costly, unnecessary ultrasound mandate signed into law. She’s also led the delegation in pushing for Title X funding, and in January, she applauded a $500,000 Title X Dire Need Grant award through HHS for PPNNE.
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