Press Releases

Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today fought the latest Republican attempt to limit women’s access to healthcare services. The House voted 236-193 to allow states to exclude medical providers from Medicaid if they also perform abortions.

DelBene’s speech, as prepared for delivery is below:

“Here we go again. Just 10 days ago, the House took a vote to attack women’s health. At the time, I said it felt like déjà vu. Now, I’m starting to wonder if this is the only issue my colleagues care about.

“Have we taken a vote to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank? No. Have we taken a vote to extend the Land and Water Conservation Fund? No. Have we taken a single vote this year to fix our broken immigration system? No.

“Yet somehow we’ve found time to take vote after vote restricting women’s access to care. It’s reprehensible.

“The bill we’re considering today is one of the worst yet. It’s a dangerous and unprecedented assault on women and their healthcare providers. And it does nothing to address the real issues Americans are facing. Voters didn’t send us here to intimidate their doctors and interfere in their private medical decisions.

“It’s time for Congress to stop wasting its time and get to work. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the underlying bill. Thank you and I yield back.”

Medicaid provides medical services for more than 70 million low-income Americans. Republicans have threatened a government shutdown unless Planned Parenthood – one of the nation’s largest preventative healthcare providers – is defunded. Today’s vote was yet another attempt to reduce women’s access to healthcare.

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