House Democratic Leaders: Supreme Court decision will cost lives

Rep. Ryan Bizzarro    June 24, 2022 | 10:51 AM

HARRISBURG, June 24 – Statement from PA House Democratic Leadership on the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision:

“Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision will hurt women’s access to health care, disproportionately harming people of color and those struggling financially. While abortion is still safe and legal here in Pennsylvania despite the court’s decision, the truth is the commonwealth is one vote away from criminalizing women’s health care and the dire consequences that it would prompt – higher maternal mortality rates, spikes in unsafe abortions, and the prosecution of doctors and nurses who provide necessary health care. Because let’s be honest: outlawing abortion doesn’t stop abortion.

“Republicans have been working for decades to reverse Roe and already have bills ready for a vote that would cut access to care. House Democrats, on the other hand, have a plan to enshrine reproductive freedoms in the state Constitution and to protect our providers from having to fear arrest for simply providing care. A majority of Pennsylvanians support access to safe health care, but, sadly, the political reality is that Republicans are more worried about the special interests than people. That means their bills will be rammed through the legislature, while our bills to do what the people actually want will never be considered.

“We’re not done fighting for people to be able to make decisions about their own body. In the meantime, we will work to shore up access to care in our communities that anticipate an uptick in women from neighboring states seeking safe health care and to protect our health care providers from legal action for doing their jobs.”

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