Dr. Jamila Perritt, President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, celebrates the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris:
“Today we celebrate the historic inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Watching the swearing in of a woman, who is both Black and South Asian, to this office is unprecedented and brings for many of us a long awaited feeling of optimism. Our country owes an incredible debt to the Black womxn, Indigenous people, and organizers in communities of color across this nation that led this work and made these results a possibility.
“Our hope is that this new White House, our White House, is now home to political leaders willing to listen to science and evidence and work in support of compassion, respect, dignity and truth. As physicians providing comprehensive health care, this is incredibly heartening and a cause for celebration.
We are excited to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to build a world where no matter the reason, people can access safe, affordable health care
“For decades, access to health care, including reproductive health care, has suffered. An absolute failure of leadership in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the death of over 400,000 people. Science and medicine have been continually disregarded. And in the past weeks we have been reminded of the tenuous state of this nation as we continue to grapple with the legacies of violence, destruction, and anger on which this country was built. Our families and communities have carried the weight of these failures.
“Thankfully, we have much to look forward to. We are excited to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to build a world where no matter the reason, people can access safe, affordable health care free from stigma, free from barriers, free from criminalization, and free from political interference. Dismantling and reversing the policies and rhetoric of the last four years is just the beginning. The Biden-Harris Administration must do all it can to ensure sexual and reproductive health care is accessible to all people, discriminatory barriers to health care are eliminated, the right to justice, health, and wellness is available for all communities, and much more.
“I look forward to working with the Administration to ensure everyone has access to the health care they need and deserve no matter who they are, how much money they make, or where they live.”
