Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) hosted a press conference on women’s health and economic empowerment with Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and Moms Rising to highlight how the constant attacks on women from President Trump and House Republicans are impacting American families. DelBene and her fellow speakers defended a woman’s right to choose and spoke passionately about equal pay for equal work, access to child care, paid family leave and fighting discrimination.

“Women’s health care rights are closely interrelated with economic equality because women must be able to make empowered decisions about their health to fully thrive. Women are at risk of losing autonomy over their own bodies, and the attacks on their reproductive rights are coming from all angles,” said Congresswoman DelBene.

She added, “We need to fight the attacks that we’re seeing from the Trump administration and Congress. To continue pursuing progress, we must carry on with the vision that inspired the Seneca Falls convention and sparked the women’s suffrage movement. No woman should have to choose between their job, family, or health. I am committed to finding legislative solutions to the economic and health care barriers women still experience.”

“We thank Representative Suzan DelBene for holding this important event and for her continued work in championing reproductive rights, health care access and women’s empowerment, especially under an administration committed to taking away the health, freedoms, and rights of people across the country,” said Chris Charbonneau, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and the Hawaiian Islands. “We will continue to fight back against the ideologies and policies of this administration because everyone deserves the freedom and opportunity to control their lives at the most basic level.”

"At this time in our nation's history when abortion rights are under dire and immediate threat, we applaud Congresswoman DelBene for boldly championing reproductive freedom," said Tiffany Hankins, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. "A woman’s ability to decide for herself when to start a family, how many children to have or not have, and affordability and access to reproductive services are fundamental to increasing economic prosperity for women. We thank and commend Congresswoman DelBene for standing with the overwhelming majority of Americans who support Roe and access to abortion."
   
In addition to Chris Charbonneau and Tiffany Hankins, DelBene was joined by:

• Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director/CEO, Moms Rising
• Caitlin Flynn, Freelance Writer
• Stephanie Vignal, mother who terminated pregnancy at 20 weeks for medically necessary reasons.

You can view the full press conference here. DelBene is Vice-Chair of the New Democrat Coalition and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care. DelBene is a strong defender of women’s reproductive rights and access to medical care. She is also a persistent advocate for women’s economic empowerment, including equal pay, paid leave, and affordable child care.