Today in the United States Senate, a cloture vote was called, and failed, on two bills vilifying patients who need abortion later in pregnancy and the health care professionals who provide that care.
Dr. Kristyn Brandi, Board Chair of Physicians for Reproductive Health, issued the following statement:
“While I am relieved these bills are not advancing today, we must call these votes what they are: political stunts. Instead of listening to the real-life situations of patients and families, anti-abortion politicians continue spreading misinformation and stigma about abortion care and inserting themselves into the patient-provider relationship. This is plain wrong.
…we must call these votes what they are: political stunts.
“These bills are a part of a larger, anti-abortion strategy across the country devised to make abortion care inaccessible. The harm of abortion bans is significant; they push abortion care out of reach for many people. When abortion access is limited, the harm falls hardest on those struggling financially or who face barriers to health care, especially Black women, Latinx people, Asian American and Pacific Islander women, Native American women, transgender people, immigrants, young people, and LGBQIA people. We thank the lawmakers who spoke out against these harmful bills that would have criminalized care.”