First kind in americas history that the Supreme Court has revoked a constitutionally protected right. The first time. As a result, a womans personal decision to make her own Reproductive Health care choice is no longer protected or guaranteed by the constitution. In the words of justice kagan, sotomayor, the conservative majority has consigned women to secondclass citizenship. In overturning roe, the Supreme Court has a least a healthcare crisis across america. Make no mistake Womens Health and in some cases, their lives, are at risk. Today, the committee will examine the very real consequences of the unprecedented decision. We start with a video. [video] the Supreme Court has overturned roe v. Wade. Pregnancy laws can land people in prison. Pregnant people being criminalized for pregnancy outcomes. Data collected from fertility apps and Google Searches could be used to prosecute abortion. Black women and women of color are disproportionately criminalized. Some of the bans do have civil and criminal penalties in terms of how they will be applied. Every time a woman gets abortions, women who are younger, women who are old, women of all races, women who never thought that they would be seeking an abortion. If im not mature enough to make a decision to have a child, im definitely not mature enough to have one. If i have another highrisk pregnancy that puts my own life at risk . I do want another baby. And now i am scared to. I no longer have those rights. It is an effort to punish women, an effort to turn neighbors into bounty hunters of sorts. We end up having more abortions because of a lack of access to Reproductive Health including contraception. This law is not just about abortion, it is about Reproductive Health. Women are going to die as a result of this. They are worried about breaking the law and going to jail and women will suffer and they will die. Since the decision, at least 10 states have banned abortion. The bans include refusing exceptions for the life of the mother, and many do not even provide exceptions for rape or incest. So what exactly do these efforts mean in the real world . They mean that a woman facing complications in pregnancy could die waiting in the hallway of a hospital because a doctor must weigh the risk of jail time against making the best decision for the health of the patient. And organizations that help someone travel to a state like illinois may face legal liability. Consider a letter sent to the simply Austin Law Firm last week by a group of conservative texas lawmakers. Which threatened to impose additional civil and criminal sanctions upon law firms that pay for abortions or abortion travel. Some republican lawmakers have even sought to punish women seeking abortions. In louisiana, republican legislators sought to advance a bill that would have subjected women who terminate pregnancy to charges of criminal homicide. It is a majority opinion that Justice Alito claims by overturning roe and casey, the court was simply returning the power to decide how abortion may be regulated to the states. But that raises many questions with no answers. Leading Health Care Providers and patients to navigate new restrictions that will likely face further constitutional damage. For example, in his concurring opinion, Justice Kavanaugh insists that a state cannot infringe on the Court Constitutional right to interstate travel. Well, it seems some state republican lawmakers didnt get the message. They are proposing bills that will turn the state borders into checkpoint terminals for patients seeking abortions. In a post roe america, it is now abortion rights that are in peril. Every constitutional right is under threat. That is not my conclusion, it is Justice Clarence thomasconclusion. Your constitutional right to privacy could be next. Justice thomas declared that the court should eliminate the constitutional right to birth control, Marriage Equality and consensual relationships between lgbtq people. This radical reversal for america comes in the aftermath of republican leader mcconnells blocking president obamas right to file Supreme Court vacancy. President donald trump pledged to appoint nominees that would overturn roe v. Wade. That with the box each one of them had to check before they could appear before this committee. Today, three and four americans say they have lost faith in the Supreme Court. It is easy to see why. Families are living in fear that some of their most cherished rights are now on the conservative chopping block. So what do we do to protect these rights . What do we do to defend women who have already had their rights revoked . Under republican control, they would pose a federal ban on abortion. Democrats have a different plan. Protect your rights with a federal statutory right to an abortion. In fact, that is exactly what the vast majority of americans support. Keeping access to abortion legal. A womans choice to get an abortion is her choice alone. Politicians have no business sitting in the waiting room with the doctor. With that, i will turn to Ranking Member grassley for his opening statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman. This is a very important hearing. I cast my first vote february, 1972 as a member of the iowa house of representatives. There was a motion before the house to repeal iowas ban on abortion. I was one of 44 people in a 4444 vote that voted not to repeal that dale, and obviously its it didnt happen. Next year, we had roe v. Wade and there was never an issue in the Iowa Legislature until potentially it could be now as a result of the overturn. We are here today because the Supreme Court has corrected a wrong that has impacted millions of lives since 1973. We are here because the Supreme Court, in a meticulous and wellreasoned opinion returned the decision of abortions back to the states. For many americans, this decision is about far more than correcting a flawed legal analysis. It means protecting the rights of the unborn. This ruling doesnt ban the practice of abortion, but instead empowers the people to their account and relet elected representatives to make commonsense policy decisions. It takes policy out of the hands of unelected judges. I understand with a decision of this magnitude comes differences of opinion, and robust debate on the next steps. That is ok, and i welcome that. We live in a democracy, and with differences of opinion and passion for policies, all that followed by thoughtful debate can lead us to the best outcomes for the American People. However, the treatment of Supreme Court justices, Pregnancy Centers, and conservative women has been outrageous since the decision was leaked. Remember this. Eight out of 10 americans do not support abortion on demand right up to the time of birth. First, regardless of views on this issue, we should all respect the rule of the impartial judiciary and the decisions that it renders. Seeking to intimidate or attack the board or undermined its credibility because of an outcome that you dont agree with his dangerous, and that is not an answer. Justices have had their addresses published online, have been subjected to illegal pressure campaigns, and one justice was even the victim of an attempted assassination. I called on the Justice Department to enforce the law and protect the justices and their families from these very real threats. The lack of a response from both the Justice Department and the white house is extremely, extremely disappointing. Along with the threats against the justices, threats against prolife and Crisis Pregnancy Centers have dramatically increased since the leak of the decision by proabortion extremists. There have been at least 40 Violent Attacks on Crisis Pregnancy Centers, religious institutions, and other prolife entities since the leak and before the court even issued its final opinion. The first pictures i have with me is a Crisis Pregnancy Center in North Carolina that was vandalized with proabortion and pront five graffiti. That is in the corner, the nt for sign. Another woman in oregon was set on fire, causing significant damage as you can see behind me. I pray for these centers and the thousands of patients they serve every day. I encourage all of my colleagues as well as myself to condemn the violence and vandalism. I want to ensure that these Violent Attacks are recognized by the fbi and are being properly investigated for what they are cases of abortionrelated violent extremism. Let me be clear very clear. Threats and violence are not the answer. I also want to bring your attention to the Incredible Group of women that we have here with us today. We know women have been the center of the prolife movement, and tirelessly advocating for the lives of the unborn and the wellbeing of mothers everywhere. I would like to introduce to you a few of these women in addition to our witnesses who i will introduce any moment. We have here witnessed today dr. Christine francis. She is an ob gyn in indiana. She chaired the board of the American Association of obstetricians and gynecologists and a board member of the indiana right to life. Dr. Francis spent time working in romania and burma and working for three years as the only ob gyn at a Major Hospital in rural kenya. She has dedicated her life professionally and personally to protecting the lives of the unborn and educating people on the dangers of the abortion industry. We are also fortunate to have someone like her in the practice of medicine. Also, Catherine Glenn foster with us, who has in the past been a witness before this committee. She serves as a resident ceo of the americans united for life. She shared her story of having an abortion at 19 due to the extreme psychological break she faced. She felt alone after her decision. I am sorry for the loss that you experienced, catherine, and i hope that we can do better to give young women the love and support that they deserve, no matter what. The executive director of the capitol hill Pregnancy Center just down the road from us a short way provides Preventative Care as well as complete, Accurate Information pertaining to pregnancy and pregnancy options. The two also have dealt with vandalism but they continue to provide services such as counseling in childbirth, and parenting classes. Thank you for the work that the center does to serve those in the d. C. Area who need support the most. I also want to thank representatives of the Incredible Groups that we have here today, march for life, susan b. Anthony, women of america. Family research consults, to name a few. They also do incredible work advocating for the lives of the unborn and for that, i thank you. Lets have a productive discussion today on how we can best support women and families Going Forward. As i said before, threatening justins is justices, Pregnancy Centers and churches is not the answer. I hope the extreme rhetoric that gives rise to this violence will not be a of the conversation today. I would like to request to enter into the record the statements from the American Association of polling. Thank you. Without objection, let me start our positive and bipartisan statement. Time and again, i have stated Political Violence of any kind is unacceptable. No matter who commits it, no matter what. I condemn all violence and threats of violence in the strongest possible terms, whether it be targets of Pregnancy Counseling Centers or Abortion Clinics. Violence is never an appropriate form of protest. This committee has passed legislation that will protect our judges, and i am glad we did. Im sorry to say that one of the most important acts, which would give the Supreme Court greater discretion in protecting the justices and their families among other conditions to protect judges has been held up on the floor and i can say the Person Holding it up is a jr. Republican senator from kentucky. I think it is a serious mistake. Lives are at risk, as we fail to put this into law and to give even more resources to the judiciary to protect their members. Today, we welcome five witnesses and i thank them for joining us. I will briefly introduce the democratic witnesses then turned to senator grassley. The first witness is Lieutenant Governor julian stratton, the 48 Lieutenant Governor in the history of our state. She previously served as a member of the house of representatives and i am grateful for her traveling here. Professor bridges, a professor of law at the university of California Berkeley School of law. I also want to thank professor bridges who is here celebrating her birthday, soy understand she is in the audience, and we all come her. Dr. Is an ob gyn and chief medical officer of planned parenthood in missouri. Thank you for joining us today. Let me turn to senator grassley for his introductions. My first person is denise harley, senior counsel defending freedom and director of the center of life. She leads her Team Litigation and advocacy effort to defend prolife legislation around the country. She also works with prolife allies on behalf of her organization and works to defend the First Amendment freedoms of Prolife Health care professionals at resource centers. She took the primary role she took that primary role in a drafting the briefs to the u. S. Supreme court. And i fell a forces becerra. Resulting in a free speech victory for california prolife Pregnancy Centers. We welcome you. Next, we have heidi matzke. Miss matzke is the director of the alternative Pregnancy Center, and has worked with them for seven years. The center is a nonprofit prolife womens medical planning, which seeks to address the holistic aspect of an unplanned pregnancy, including the dramatic, emotional, material, and spiritual needs of the mother. These services are free through the clinic. The Center Provides pregnancy test, ultrasounds, Abortion Pill reversals, as to the testing and treatment, prenatal care, gynecological care, abortion recovery classes, and contraceptive education. Prior to working at the center, miss matzke worked for the center of kristen financial strategies. We welcome you all here. Thank. You let me each of the witnesses will be given five minutes for an opening statement, then members will be recognized in order for five minutes of questioning. Before we proceed, though i asked the witnesses to please stand and let it raise the right hand for the administrative oath. You affirm the testimony you are about to give before the committee is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god. Let the record reflect that all five witnesses answered in the affirmative. Now, for opening statements, i first recognized Lieutenant Governor stratton. Please proceed. Good morning. Thank, you chairman dermot. Ranking member grassley, and the distinguished members of the Senate Judiciary committee. For the opportunity to testify today. I am juliana stratton, Lieutenant Governor of the great state of illinois, and i use she her pronouns. Since coming into office, Governor Pritzker and i have been focused on the health, safety, and access to opportunities for all women of illinois, of all backgrounds and ages. And, one way that weve worked to make that a reality is by preserving and protecting legal abortion in illinois. In 2019, Governor Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health care act, which enshrined reproductive rights into state law, repealed outdated laws criminalizing abortion, and requires private Health Insurance plans to cover abortion as the vital Reproductive Health procedure that it is. We made a vow that our state will be a beacon of hope for all. This was a promise that we made it to the people of illinois, and i come before you today because people throughout the entire midwest are relying on our commitment to protect and preserve womens rights, namely the right to an abortion. It is no secret that illinois stands out as one of the only states in the u. S. Heartland where our laws on legal abortion have not been impacted by the Supreme Court overturning of roe v. Wade. We are not just on a waste of reproductive care, but an island. Here is what that looks like. It looked like disenfranchised, yet determined patients coming from every surrounding state, but also from as far away as tennessee, texas, louisiana, alabama, and florida. It looks like the entire staff of our states Abortion Clinics feel soft they are getting phone calls for appointments because the number of out of state patients has doubled since roe v. Wade was overturned. Thats on top of that nearly 10,000 women who already came to illinois seeking abortion care. According to 2020 data by the Illinois Department of Public Health, in the coming months and years, these numbers will inevitably increase, and sadly will that preventable suffering and pain of women and families across the nation facing the negative ramifications of a postroe america. Because of the history of systemic racism, we know that inequities are amplified within the black and latinx communities. A post roe america will be devastating for black women, whose Maternal Mortality rate is already 2 to 3 times higher than that of white women because of Structural Racism and misogyny. One study projects that without safe and illegal access to abortions, that number will increase by over 30 among black women, and nearly 20 for hispanic women. Lets take a moment to just let that sink in. We are facing a future rife with needless death, despite 61 of americans believing abortions should be legal in most or all cases, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in march 2022. Its hard to overestimate just how devastating the outcome of this ruling is and will be, despite our years of preparation. Before the threats to roe v. Wade were fully realized, illinois was proactive, upholding bodily autonomy, and protecting the right to an abortion, and still, at the overturning of roe v. Wade has sent us down a dark, agonizing path. The Supreme Court decision does not, quote, leave abortion up to the states, when every state will be impacted. To be clear, this means every city, town, county, the urban, suburban, and rural. And, our rural and unincorporated areas already experience inequities, when it come to accessing health care overall. The weight of this ruling will surely be felt across state borders. In illinois, and in states like ours, we are bracing for what is to come, as these Diverse Communities across the nation turning to us. Governor pritzker called on the president to move forward on key items that will address how states like ours will be affected with, like creating a centralized hub for providers and patients to ease the burden on facility capacity amid higher demand. And most of all, illinois and other states with legal abortion need more access to federal money to support demand. I commend President Biden for the steps he has taken it to safeguard access to reproductive care through an executive order on friday, which included actions to expand access to contraceptives. This is a great start. In illinois, all hands on deck, as we brace for what is coming. Because, we know we are the only lifeline for so many, after so much has been taken away from women, from the American People. I say this, not just as the Lieutenant Governor of illinois, but as a mother of four daughters. My daughters, who now have fewer rights than i had. In illinois, excuse me, and based on Justice Clarence thomass opinion, it is likely this may not be the last rites that will be stripped from future generations, as actives to contraceptives, and of the right to love and mary who you choose, have already come under threat with the overturning of roe v. Wade. In illinois, we will not go back. We will not be silent, or stand on the sidelines, and i think Governor Pritzker, illinois and legislative leaders, and our states general assembly, and all of the Community Advocates who have joined forces to ensure just that. We already know how dangerous it is to turn back the clock of progress, and i ask each of you, as leaders, help us push forward, before its too late. Thank you. Thank you for your statement, Lieutenant Governor. We extended the period for your statement a little bit, in the same courtesy we extended to all the witnesses. Chairman drummond, Ranking Member grassley, and all members of the committee, i am denise harle, at the center for life and freedom. We provide tremendous hope for women and unborn children across this country. For the first time in half a century, so people, through our elected representatives, have that Legal Authority to affirm the dignity of women, and fully protect unborn babies. The Supreme Court was correct to overall its a greatest decision in roe v. Wade, where a seven male justices insulted women, by saying that motherhood forces on us a stressful life and future. I am here today with my own mom, and my precious four month old baby girl, and i have two children at home. I joined with millions of mothers nationwide, in saying that the ruling in roe was awful a shameful, dehumanizing, and false characterization of that role that women and moms hold in our society. I know that every womans story is unique, and for some women, finding out your pregnant is very difficult and unwelcome news. But, pregnancy is not a barrier to success, and motherhood it does not ruin a womans chance you have a happy and fulfilling life. To say otherwise, is demeaning, and it degrading. Jobs was also a victim for the constitution. As the nation expands, nothing in the constitution tax, structure, supports a socalled right to abortion. Even people that are pro abortion admitted. This harvard law professor, lawrence tribe, said roe is a verbal smokescreen, and that the substance of justice on which it rest is nowhere to be found. Felt late pro abortion icon, Justice Ginsburg, called raw heavyhanded Judicial Intervention that was difficult to justify. And legally, scientifically, morally, it is. Under the roe regime, the United States became an extreme outlier in abortion law. 75 of nations around the world dont permit elective abortion at all, or at most, limited to 12 weeks. But, under roe, but joined including human rights abusers, china, and north korea, to allow abortion on demand, after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The Dobbs Decision unshackled states from this judicial power grabbing row that is based on falsehoods without history and science. Now, we can apply scientific knowledge that weve gained since that infamous decision. Medical advancements in the past 50 years have made it crystal clear, that states have a compelling interest in protecting unborn children at every state of development. Without the help of ultrasounds, weve learned that babies in the first 12 weeks develop heartbeats, and brainwaves. They move around and kick. They can hiccup. Suck their thumbs, even taste what their mom needs. Its entirely reasonable and right for americans to protect these tiny humans. And, the american systems are prepared to do so. In fact, reports that americans supported role are extremely misleading. Row allowed for abortion up to that moment of birth. But, nearly 90 of americans oppose abortion in the third trimester. Let alone, until birth. Now,. For women who find themselves overwhelmed by the prospect of motherhood, there is hope. It doesnt involve destroying the baby. We need to be pointing pregnant moms toward real help. Thousands of pregnancy resource enters around the nation stand ready to support women at no cost, with tangible services, both during and after a mothers pregnancy. Many states are pouring resources into creative programs to ensure that every mom can access the critical support he needs, churches, adoption agencies, and other civic organizations are redoubling their efforts. Dobbs marks a new day for our country. The opportunity to build a Better Society than the one the court for subpoenas in 1973. A society that not only firms that life is a human life, but embraces motherhood by providing opportunities for women to thrive as moms. We, as a nation, cannot longer use roe as an excuse to treat pregnancy that she alone must solve. Its time to implement innovative, support systems, and empower women to pursue full and flourishing lives for their families and themselves. That post wrote legal landscape is changing as we speak. I am so grateful, that we are entering a new era, where the American People have an opportunity to lead the world, in upholding the dignity of women, of their children, and if human life. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Professor bridges. Chairman chairman, Ranking Member grassley, and members of the senate committee, that judiciary, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. My name is khiara bridges, and i am a professor of law at the university of California Berkeley School of law. I am here today to explain how it the u. S. Supreme courts radical decision in dobbs forces Jackson Women Health organization to take away Constitutional Rights for reproductive freedom harms woman of color. In davos, the court upheld mississippis ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and in the process, overturned roe v. Wade. Dobbs declares that roe aired when it interpreted the 14th amendment to due process clause to determine approve viability pregnancy, in so far as that clause only protect rights that are quote, deeply rooted in the nations history and tradition, and implicit in the concept of liberty, and quote. For the jobs majority, the countrys laws in 1860, at the year that the 14th amendment was ratified determine whether abortion rights could be so characterized. After canvassing abortion regulations in 1858, the majority concludes that abortion rights are not part of the nations history and tradition. The painfully obvious point to make, is that people with the capacity for pregnancy were not part of the body politic during the period of the nations history that the majority believes is decisive of the constitutional inquiry. Women could not vote in the country for another half a century after 1868. Because, women could not participate in the democratic process, one could reasonably assume that their interest were not reflected in any of the nations laws, including the nations laws that the dobbs majority reads in the constitutional cause to that, the decision to pull which the year 1860, eight and attempt to define the meeting of the constitution by looking at the nations practices during that time, its a decision to privilege an era characterized by the formal exclusion of people with capacity for pregnancy. People of color, specifically, black people, wont feel the impact of the Court Decision in dobbs more than any other racial group. Black peoples important rate is 3 to 4 times y peoples abortion right. This is a direct result of black peoples higher rate of unintended pregnancy, which in turn, is due to higher rates of poverty among black people. A frequently cited reason if that individuals get for terminating unintended pregnancy, is that they cannot afford to have a child at that time. Thus, the unequal burden of poverty that black people bear renders them more likely to face inundated pregnancy in the first instance, and in the second instance, to lack the funds theyre necessary to carry the pregnancy to term and raise a child. As such, when states are permitted to use the criminal or civil law to make abortion inaccessible, state render unavailable a service upon which black people desperately rely. Further, the number of people in jails and prisons has grown tremendously since 1973. The incarcerated population has quadrupled in the last 40 years, with close to 2 Million People confined in jails and prisons today. This is to say that the country is currently much more willing than it was in the generations that proceeded roe to turn to jails and prisons to address a social problem. Both real and imagined. Moreover, there now exists precedent for punishing people for poor pregnancy outcomes. A president that simply did not exist during the criminal abortion laws that preceded roe. In the 19 80s, during the crack cocaine scare, the states began teaches creative interpretations of criminal law to prosecute black people who use a drug during the pregnancy s. Arrests and prosecutions which Substance Use during pregnancy continue to the president. Further, criminal punishment of people who have suffered poor birth outcomes occur outside of the context of Substance Use. For example, prosecutors brought charges against a depressed pregnant woman who attempted suicide, and suffered a miscarriage as a result. I could go on and on, although a number of abortion rights opponents currently claim to consider the pregnant person who has an abortion to be a victim, i am skeptical about the sincerity or endurance of this belief in light of our Current Practice of punishing pregnant people for their pregnancy outcomes. Importantly, even if black people attended to self manage abortion despite the threat of criminal punishment, as frequently as people of other races, we should fully expect that black people should be more frequently and more harshly punished for breaking the law. We should have this expectation because, as a general matter, black people are more likely than their nonblack counterparts to be arrested, prosecuted, indicted and convicted for the same conduct, and they serve longer sentences than their nonblack counterparts, even when controlling for relevant factors. In conclusion, i cannot overstate the level of harm and chaos at the Dobbs Decision has already caused people seeking abortion care, providers, and practical support organizations. The crisis and access to abortion care in the United States pilots the need for a bold, holistic, and intersectional policy response that puts within its range of vision and using between the need for complicated family and medical leave, to laws that protect the right to vote, thank you. Thank you, professor. Please proceed. Thank you so much for the privilege and honor and privilege to be here today. I am the executive director of alternatives furnaces center in sacramento, california. I came into this role by a roundabout road that became in very emotional place. A number of days ago, on the day my sister and i were supposed to leave for college she showed up at the door and collapsed on the ground, i said, what is wrong as i looked into her eyes, she looked up at me and she said i am pregnant, i still remember the fear in her eyes, i see that fear almost every single day in the eyes of women who come into our center, they need help, they need someone to talk to, they need hope. I know, my sister needed all of those things, our family needed all of those things and we found land at a local Pregnancy Care Center, years later, because i wanted to give that same help, hope, and support to others i became the director at alternatives. As organization of mostly women serving women, the staff of our clinic offers our patients compassionate, holistic care, administering in whatever gentle ways we can to their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It grieves me that since the Supreme Court announced this Dobbs Decision, a great deal of misinformation has been spread about who we are and what we do, let me share with you some of the facts, our clinic is one of nearly 3000 pregnancies care centers serving women across america. Each year, hundreds of thousands come to our clinics, looking for free medical care, emotional support, and practical resources that will enable them to carry their pregnancies to term. Our clinic in sacramento alone provides over 1 million of Free Medical Services each year to women who come to us. We charge them nothing. That means we never financially benefit from any choice a woman makes, we make no profit of any kind of of the women who turned to us for help. We have a pregnancy tests, ultrasound, prenatal care up to 24 weeks, wellness visits, we test and treat for sexually transmitted diseases, we offer abortion reversal services, abortion recovery counseling, and parenting classes. And, a finances are a problem we have diapers, wipes, baby formula, baby food, baby clothing, baby supplies, and if a woman needs a hotel room we provide that as well. We pay for all of that, it does not matter who she is, where she comes, from or what her past is, at our center all medical services are provided by a staff of licensed medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and medical assistance. They are deeply compassionate people, because most of them have experienced abortion for themselves. Our ob gyn was an abortionist, when a woman comes in so afraid of what unplanned pregnancy will mean for her life, her ambitions, her relationships, we do not urge her in that moment to make any decision, we listen, we try to hear her heart, we offer professional services and emotional support, whether she chooses parenting, adoption, or abortion we will continue to be there for her, four years if necessary. Many women chose worsen because they lack the resources and support they need to confidently choose to parent. Over the last five years american Pregnancy Care Centers have served nearly 2 million women who were faced with an unplanned pregnancy and wanted an alternative to abortion. Yet, Pregnancy Care Centers from coast to coast are being targeted for a violent assault of vandalism and hateful attacks online and in the media, just last week, as the exhibit shows, a man approached our care center with unarmed machete. We have been forced to hire 24 hour, on site security, we have had to reinforced doors and bulletproof our walls, we have had to paint our building with anti graffiti coating, we have added cameras, armed our staff with pepper spray, and stopped running our mobile clinic because the threats of violence, we have been forced to expand valuable resources, resources for women of up to 150, 000, just to protect ourselves, why . Because we offer free care to women. What we do is worth the risk, every Community Needs a place for women facing unplanned pregnancies who are seeking dependable medical resources, in a safe and caring environment during one of the most difficult times of their lives. If you are pregnant three of the most powerful words a woman will hear in her life, for some the words bring incredible joy, for others incredible fear. Both deserve support, i thank you for the privilege of sharing with you a brief glimpse of hope, service and compassion our Pregnancy Centers, and so many others across this great country provide to women every single day. Thank you, doctor nicholas . Thank you, chair durbin, my name is doctor Kelly Mcnicholas and i i use she her pronouns. I am a Board Certified ob gyn trained to provide the full spectrum including abortion care, i practiced in missouri and illinois. Two states were people are living such vastly different realities that it should be concerned by each one of you to be unamerican. On june 24th, when the Supreme Court overruled roe v. Wade it as to actively created two nations, one where those whose reproductive freedom blocks themselves. Another whose reproductive freedom belongs to a small group of politicians who have effectively appointed themselves as decisionmakers over our bodies, our lives, and our futures the, today i am here to speak for patients, the patients i serve every day. People from across the midwest and south who navigate a ridiculous Obstacle Course just to access basic care. While it may take us years to understand how the Supreme Court decision in the dobbs versus jackson case will have impacted our Public Health outcomes we already know just 18 days into this post roe reality how its disastrously complicating peoples lives, and putting doctors in impossible situations. Since seizing abortion care at our Health Center in st. Louis, which was the last remaining Abortion Clinic in missouri, our Health Center in illinois just across the Mississippi River has cared for patients who have traveled as far as 1000 miles each way. Each one of those patients has told me they had no choice but to travel hours and hours for care. Almost overnight, our illinois clinic has seen appointments triple, that is on top of a double booked schedule way were sustaining in the wake of texas and oklahomas abortion bans. As we have long said, overturning roe will not stop the need for abortion. The Supreme Court decision has already pushed people, the people each one of you represents into extreme and dangerous circumstances in order to access one of the safest and most Common Health care procedures. In missouri and several other states, abortion is banned except in a medical emergency, in other words in order for doctors to avoid prison time, instead of treating a patient before their Health Condition becomes lifethreatening, doctors must now contemplate how sick is sick enough before providing lifesaving abortion care. People will suffer unnecessary harm as doctors wait for permission from hospital lawyers to tell them that they can proceed. In some circumstances, the abortion care will come too late. Not only is this agenda unpopular, it is deeply antilife. We already know that abortion care is inextricably linked to Maternal Health outcomes, in missouri black Maternal Mortality is four times higher than that four white women, forcing people to continue pregnancies they do not want or cannot bear will cost lives. Forcing people into parenting without passing policies that address childcare costs, paid family leave, or a formula shortage will cost lives. The antiabortion agenda is antilife and hypocrisy at its worst. I have a plea for our allies as well, those of you who have long stood with us and committed to protecting reproductive freedom, listen to those of us who have been warning about this moment for years, work with critical assets states to ensure that abortion remains accessible, use every bit of your power to do something. On june 24th, one hour before the Supreme Court dismantled abortion rights, i was sitting next to the hhs secretary along with partners and allies in missouri, including the congresswoman from the first district, representative cori bush. In that meeting we asked the Biden Administration to declare a Public Health emergency, to support the patients who will have to flee their home states for abortion care, as 36 Million People of reproductive age now or soon will live in a state where abortion is banned. Senators, i come before you tired, frustrated, and angry, those of us on the front lines, the abortion activist that President Bidens team referred to it out of step just this weekend, are the ones who are holding back this Public Health crisis that is about to sweep the country. I speak on behalf of my colleagues, abortion providers and advocates, we deserve better. We need action, we need it now, we are out of time. Thank you for inviting me to share about this moment in history, which i am certain will be a stain as we move forward. Abortion is normal, it is an act of love and it is fundamentally health care. Thank, you we will now go into fiveminute rounds to ask questions and i will begin. Doctor mick nicholas, youve already addressed this issue, but i want to make this critically important. There are some who say that those who support the abortion procedures are a law mushed and exaggerating the danger that women face because of the Dobbs Decision, i think you have alluded to this and i want to make it part of the record. He United States already has the highest Maternal Mortality rates of comparable nations. In other words, more women die in childbirth in this country than other countries, we are one of only 14 countries where the Maternal Mortality rate is worse today than it was 25 years ago. Every year, 900 women nationwide die as a result of pregnancy related complications. 70,000 suffered near fatal outcomes. Women of color are three times more likely to die as a result of pregnancy than white women, and yet, it could get much worse. A recent study estimated the nationwide ban on abortion would increase Maternal Mortality in the United States by 20 , among black women the increase is an estimated 33 . By ending the constitutional right to abortion the Supreme Court has ensured that Maternal Mortality in the United States will increase. In states with the most restrictive abortion laws, already there is a 7 higher Maternal Mortality rate than states with fewer restrictions, tell me the practical side of this, the cases that you have run into as a practicing physician, as a doctor where you had to make this decision, life or death when it comes to the mother. Thank you, senator durbin, i first want to acknowledge the fact that you are right, this country has a disappointing and embarrassing Maternal Mortality rate already and we are on the cusp of seeing that rate increase. These six states with the higher mortality rate are these six states that immediately moved to ban abortion, that is not a coincidence. In addition to the Public Health implications that we will not know for years, impact on long term Maternal Mortality rate, we are already seeing mass chaos among ob gyn,s emergency room physicians, and pharmacists. We are talking about people being denied or delayed care for pregnancy and non pregnancy related conditions, lupus, arthritis, cancer medications that we use frequently to control those conditions, are being denied to patients because they might also contribute to miscarriage, or can be used for abortion in other indications. Ob gyns who are sitting at patients in Emergency Rooms while they bleed, while their vital signs become unstable, while they are waiting for hospital lawyers to decide if this patient is sick enough. Now the right one of the consequences of violating a law is criminal, doctors are put in an impossible position, where they know the right care. They know what to do to help somebody. But yet, they have to wait, making folks sustain totally preventable harm. It is quite embarrassing, and should be shameful. Professor bridges, you made our reference in your testimony to 1868, and you used as an example, when Justice Alito referred to the historic precedent, that going back to women were not legally entitled to vote. I also note that at that moment, women could not own property or enter into a contract in the United States of america. And in 1868, not a single woman practice law in the United States. That was the historic basis that Justice Alito wanted to use for the Dobbs Decision. Would you comment again on that particular aspect of this . When we talk about historic precedent . Absolutely. Thank you for the question. Its a complete choice to elevate the year 1868 as the moment of constitutional significance, in terms of constitutional interpretation. Again, it was a period of time where women were not part of the body politic. It wasnt until movements that occurred later in this countrys history, in the 1970s, that we started to see movements for womens equality, and women could actually become something that we could call legal citizens. I also want to, i guess, give me time to note the selectivity of Justice Alitos historical inquiry. He chooses to elevate 1868, and in the context of abortion rights, because it will leave it to the result that he likes. Other cases and other contacts, he doesnt engage in a historical inquiry at all. In his action and jurisprudence, 1868 is also the relevant time that we should look for interpreting equal protection clause. We should be interrogating what they thought when they ratified the clause, in terms, after they think that there ought to be race conscious effort to make newlyfreed, formerly enslaved people of color members of the body politic. If he engages in that inquiry, he will have to lead to the conclusion that affirmative action is constitutional. He doesnt engage in that historical inquiry because it will not lead to the results that he likes. Thank you. Senator stratton, im a little over my time, but i want to give you a chance to efforts that are underway on the Maternal Mortality issue, and protection of women. I have to give you fair warning, that your statement, that illinois is a unique but Western State on the challenge it is going to be challenged by a senator from minnesota. Lieutenant governor, so thank you for that question. Just, the ability to add what the witnesses have already stated, in addition to that, i would point out that this would not only have a disproportionate impact on black women, when we often talk about the issue of Maternal Mortality. We raised the issue of how it disproportionately impact black women, but the issue of restricting Abortion Access, the abortion bans, and other restrictions, will also have a disproportionate impact on those women who are from lower income communities, on immigrant women, on young women, on women from rural communities, on our lgbtq community. There are so many wide ranging ramifications. And, at the bottom line, is that everyone should be able to decide for themselves what is best for their own health care, in conjunction, with their physician. This is not something that should be decided with a political agenda. It is not something that should be a decision made by politicians. These are decisions that are very personal. When they have health implications, as we were talking about Maternal Mortality. This is an example of why it is not a politicians determination. It should be that individuals decision with their health care professional. Thank you, Lieutenant Governor. Senator grassley. I am going to repeat some statistics you gave. According to an institute, pro life Pregnancy Center per forms 83,000 free ultrasounds, 73,000 pregnancy tests last year. 291,000 clients attended pregnancy and prenatal education classes, and a 2500 locations offer material assistance that babies need one of family cant support it. So, can you tell us how you help pregnant women, and even more importantly, would there be an impact on these communities, if your centers werent available . Yes, senator grassley, thank you for the question. We give women free parenting classes, free baby supplies, free medical and emotional support after an abortion. Along with that, Pregnancy Cares Centers throughout the entire country give 200 and 66 million a year, of a free medical care and resources, to the community nationwide. It is important to know that Pregnancy Centers often support women even after theyve had an abortion. As a matter of fact, we had a 19 year old young women come into our clinic who did not want an abortion. She was forced to take the Abortion Pill by her parents. She testified to the fact, that when she took the Abortion Pill, she was isolated in a bathroom all by herself. There was no support. There was no doctor they. There was no nurse there. There was no pain medication, other than ibuprofen. She testifies to physically going into labor on the floor, on of the toilet, and in her bathroom. And at one point, she said she looked down, and what they told her was a couple of cells was a fully formed baby laying on the floor. Devastated, she claims she pick that baby up, and carried it around, put it in a plastic bag, and several weeks later, took it to a memorial, and buried it. This is not health care. A woman alone, by herself, in a bathroom, experiencing tremendous pain, and seeing the effects of it. A young woman who has an abortion at an Abortion Clinic never has to drive by that Abortion Clinic ever again. But, a young woman, who goes into labor on the floor of her bathroom, and physically sees everything that comes out of her, and experiences the pain in the midst of that moment, has to wake up every single morning and relive that experience again. This is not health care. Miss harle, whether its an unelected court, or the thinnest possible margins in congress, we need to respect our institutions and our limitations. The Supreme Court shouldnt be taking power away from legislators. Neither shedded her filibuster be destroyed due to an active veil that allows abortion until both, but a policy aid in ten americans reject. So, do you wonder, the constitution, with the various proposals that weve seen, to enshrine abortion at the federal level coffee . Sorry. A couple of problems. As a constitutional matter, congress does not have the authority in its constitutional powers to oppose a National Abortion regime upon the states. Cant find that in the commerce clause. You cant find that anywhere in congress as powers that would be a gross overreach, and with it trample on a principles of federalism. As a policy matter, its also problematic. The example that i am aware of, the current socalled Womens Health protection act, which has a nice name, but if you read it, is actually an abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy bill. That, as a policy, its horrific. Its completely out of step with the American People want. Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to abortion on demand up to the moment of birth. But the Womens Health protection our would actually allow a baby to be torn apart limb by limb before entering the birth canal for any reason whatsoever, or no reason at all. It will also overturn hundreds of state laws that are modest and common sense, and that protect life. So, as a constitutional matter, i dont think a congressional attempted to mandate abortion would be upheld in court, and as a policy matter, its a horrific idea, and i think we should be embarrassed that the United States is even considered Something Like that. Thank, you senator grassley, senator feinstein thank you, mister chairman. I was just thinking back to 50 years ago one abortion was legal, and i was sitting on the california womens board of terms and parole, setting sentences for women who committed abortion. And, i remember how terrible it was. Before the Supreme Court decided roe v. Wade, nearly 50 years ago, abortions were risky, they were difficult to obtain. Women would travel to mexico to seek an abortion from an unauthorized provider. Or they would attempt to self induced and abortion using dangerous and potentially lifethreatening methods. We know from those times, and i know from those times that banning abortion care will not stop people from seeking abortions. It will only make abortion more deadly overturning roe does nothing more than endanger the lives of women. I am deeply concerned that state efforts to ban and criminalize abortion will once again emerge, and will harm the ability of women to seek vital medical care so, doctor mcnicholas, from your experience as a provider, what impact have you seen from the state abortion bans on women who are seeking Reproductive Health care . And, professor bridges, what can congress do to help protect people seeking an abortion . Thank you so much, for the question senator feinstein. I will start by acknowledging that the legalization of abortion has never been the driver of its necessity. That was true before roe and it will be true post dobbs. Preet decision there were states like missouri who had made it so difficult that the roe decision was inadequate and pushed abortion out of access for many already, the reality is right now, in this moment, there are tens of thousands of people who are navigating which bill can go unpaid, how to find somebody to watch their kids, making sure their transportation can get them thousands of miles to the next clinic. All in such a basic health care. What we know is that abortion bans and restrictions, disproportionally affect people who live in marginalized identities and are worse for people who exist in the intersections of oppression. We will see more people be harmed by these decisions. Both as pregnancy outcomes, as well as people who are being denied and delayed care outside of the abortion realm. As of this past weekend, 21 states either have an abortion ban in effect, are expected to implement a ban soon, or have severely restricted Abortion Access in the state. These bands are forcing women to live their home states in order to seek safe and legal Reproductive Health care. Some states with abortion bans in place have begun discussing the potential next step of banning people from traveling to seek abortion care outside of their home state. My home state, california, recently passed legislation that would help protect abortion providers and individuals from other states who seek abortion care in california. Professor bridges, if some states take this next step of banning travel to seek abortion, what Legal Protection should states hoping to protect Abortion Access put in place to prevent harm to patients visiting their states for care . Thank you for the question, senator, we have a clearly established constitutional right to travel. The Supreme Court interpreted the constitution as protecting the right to travel, but that does not mean the right is secure. We have seen in jobs that 50 years of precedent can be overturned based on the membership of the court. I want to back up a little bit and respond to your question about what congress can do in response to the reversal of roe congress can, and should, repeal the Hyde Amendment. That prevents federal funds from being used on abortion care, it has made it impossible for low income people to rely on their Health Insurance or medicaid to recover the cost of abortion care. It also makes it impossible for people who rely on Indian Health services, native people to turn to the clinics and facilities that fulfill the federal governments obligation today to people to provide health care. Also, i just want to know that congress can and should pass federal legislation that creates a sedentary right to an abortion, they is a nice first step, there is no question that congress has the authority to pass the w. H. Pa. This is because health care is with the power under the commerce clause, health care is an activity that substantially affects interstate commerce. The court in an f i before sibelius did not cast doubt on congresss ability to regulate health care, because it is an activity that substantially affects interstate commerce commerce certainly has the power to pass it and other efforts. Thank you. Thank you very much, any statement with particulars and it would be helpful that we can report into writing and submit to the committee, i would certainly appreciate that thank you. Thank, you senator feinstein. Senator cotton . Over the last few months we have seen a market increase in violence and intimidation by pro abortion groups. Leftwing mobs have gathered outside the homes of Supreme Court justice to intimidate them and affect their decision in the dobbs case. And blatant violation of federal law. Yet, the week and hopefully partisan attorney general refused to face that federal law and the Supreme Court marshal has had to go to the governors of virginia and maryland, playing with them to protect our Supreme Court justices at their homes. In one case, it democratic hit man traveled from california to try to assassinate Brett Kavanaugh at his home. It is not just Supreme Court justices being targeted for abortion groups, including one calling itself james revenge, has claimed credit for fire bombing prolife organization in madison wisconsin, on numerous other fire bombings, attacks, and acts of vandalism against pro life groups in more than a dozen states. The same group attacked and vandalized the Campaign Office of a republican congressman. This weekend, three separate churches in maryland were all attacked, all three were desecrated and two were set on fire. Those attacks are currently under investigation but are also believed to be related to pro abortion causes and groups. I would like to ask each of you, starting with the Lieutenant Governor, do you condemn the Violent Attacks, firebombings, and vandalism by groups like james revenge . Thank you, senator, let me just say i will emphasize that violence against anyone is wrong. No one should experience threats to their safety, or their wellbeing. I would also urge everyone to bring the same energy to the attacks that are taking place against abortion providers. And clinics all across the board, violence is unacceptable. We know that we are seeing violent acts as well as threats and attacks, also on abortion providers and clinics. That also needs to be addressed with the same energy. We know that arson, bombings, assault, which have increased exponentially. Stockings have gone up 600 since 2020 against those that are abortion providers. No, i condemn any acts of irritants, absolutely do not believe anybody should experience threats to their wellbeing and safety. That should apply equally across the board, everyone should be working just as hard to make sure that abortion providers and clinics also get that same protection. Thank you, miss hawley . Again, first timer, i do condemn all violence and i do know that abortion is an act of violence against the most innocent and vulnerable human beings. Thank you, professor. I condemn violence, i would like to know the fourth birth is an act of violence as well, i have some additional statistics to share. There hasnt been a forbidden 50 increase in blockades at clinics that provide abortion services, 163 increase in the planting of hoax devices and suspicious packages, at clinics that provide abortion care. 129 increase in invasions at clinics that provide abortion care, and 128 increase in assault and battery. Yes, we should keep that same energy across the board and protect everyone who is providing abortion care. Miss matzke, i also condemned the violence. Violence should never be carried out on anybody at anytime. And Pregnancy Centers, heres since the overturning, that violence has been overwhelming that we have sustained. The amount of money weve had to expanded to protect ourselves, just so we can offer Free Services to women, is unbelievable. Doctor. Thank you so much. I appreciate the outrage for the violence. In fact, my own family would appreciate some outrage in production of ourselves. Doctor lynn wheeler, murdered in 1977, would have appreciated some outrage. Murdered in 1983. Dr. John written in 1994. James barrett, a volunteer, merchant in murdered in 1984. Shannon likely, murdered at the age of 25, in 1984. Lilian nicholson, 38, murdered in 1994. Dr. Barnett, 1998, murdered in buffalo, new york. After returning home from his synagogue, and just hours after his wife for the threat to police. Robert and sanders in, an offduty Police Officer at a clinic, murdered by who everyone know its as eric rudolph in 1988. And of course, dr. George taylor in 2009, murdered in his own church, wouldve appreciated your outrage as well. Im sorry. I didnt hear an answer to my question. Do you condemn the violence by the group . Im going all of my panelists here, i absolutely condemn violence against everyone, including abortion providers. Thank you. Senator klobuchar. Thank you very much, senator durbin. By the way, thank you for that answer. That was, going through the names, i think really reiterate for many people up here that they condemn violence, but there have been a lot of people that lost their lives, simply by trying to guarantee women whatever wants their guaranteed rights under the constitution. Now, its in our hands. For nearly 50 years, roe v. Wade protected a womans right to make her own health care decisions, ensuring that women, their families, and their daughters were in charge of the most personal choices in their lives. Not politicians. This ruling means that not only will women receive different treatment under the law than men, but there will be, as weve said today, a patchwork of laws across the country. Look at what we are seeing right now. Louisiana passed a law that subjects abortion abortion providers to criminal penalties. In missouri, a bill was introduced that would allow private citizens to sue people who helped women leave the state to get abortion care. And, mississippis governor refused to rule out banning contraception. So, as senator durbin noted, our state, like illinois, is also an island in the heartland. But, a good place. I am very proud that our state has startup, in minnesota, for reproductive rights of women. After the Dobbs Decision, i met with a group of workers from the planned parenthood clinic in morehead, minnesota. I talked with the head of the Red River Falls womens clinic in fargo, north dakota. She has resorted to a gofundme page, in order to make sure that she can keep providing services in the upper midwest, and in fact its moving her clinic to minnesota. All of the providers ive talked to have been resolute in their desire to continue to serve the Health Care Needs of women. So, i wouldnt start with you, doctor bridges. Because, minnesota is surrounded by states with abortion restrictions, providers expect to see ten to 25 more people coming to our state. Can you talk about the strain that incident increase and women seeking care has on both patients and providers. Absolutely. I can speak on that. I also would invite Lieutenant Governor stratton to weigh in as well. We saw that after texas passed sb8, effectively ending abortion in the state after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant, there was an incredible influx of patients from texas and clinics in the surrounding states, oklahoma and kansas. Some clinics reported 1000 percent increase in patients from texas after sb8 went into effect. Kansas, some clinics in kansas provided information that 50 of their clients who are now from texas. So, that makes it difficult, of course, for people from texas to access abortion care because now they have to travel hundreds of miles for abortion care, but it also makes it difficult for the residents of oklahoma and kansas to access the care in their estate because the supply is simply, cannot meet the demand. Given some of the things i mentioned, are you concerned that under the court subpoenaed decision there are no limits on things states can do to make it nearly impossible for women to seek care . So, there are limits, right . I mentioned the sands versus row, which was decided in 1999, which the Supreme Court held that there was a constitutional right to travel. However, we have seen that the Supreme Court cares very little. The Supreme Court doesnt feel bound by president. So, if the president leads to a result they dont, like we can expect it to be reserved, like weve seen with roe v. Wade, within the reversal of the court. One other thing, i am concerned that private health data can put providers and people seeking abortions at risk. One report shows that it only cost about 160 to buy a weeks worth of location that are on people who visited planned parenthood. Thats why senator baldwin and i partnered together to urge the ftc to regulate data brokers who are selling data about people seeking abortions. Yesterday, the ftc issued a statement committing to fully forcing the law of illegal use of highly sensitive data. In the wake of the Dobbs Decision, do you agree that it is important to protect that of privacy, particularly in states that have a lot of abortion . It is essential that we protect data privacy. Whenever we are online, we leave a digital footprint. That footprint can be used as incriminating evidence. If prosecutors are interested and pressing it criminal charges against people seeking basic health care. Okay, very, very good. Thank you. One last thing, Lieutenant Governor, if you wanted to add anything on the front of this state, like illinois, and minnesota, and the impact on these state. I want to begin, senator, by acknowledging the great leadership in the state of minnesota. I will also just add to your question, regarding the protection of data privacy, protection of data and privacy issues, we know that the potential criminalization of patients coming to our state is certainly of top of mind in illinois, but its not just the patients, its also the abortion care providers, that also could potentially risk that same sort of criminalization. So, we are working with our states leaders, gathering to talk about how we can continue to expand and further and shrine reproductive rights and to state law. Because again, everybody should be able to feel safe and be able to have access to health care between them in the position. Very good, and our governors tim well, peggy plant, again i know Great Respect for you and governor prince or. So, thank you very much. Thanks, senator klobuchar. Senator lee. Im sorry, maybe senator cornyns first. Do you want to work it out . Thank you, mister chairman. Its important we focus on what we are actually discussing today. We arent talking about procedures that culminated in and have their soul and hated per person, the termination of a babys life. These are babies. Its also important that we recognize, in response to those who have said that the Dobbs Decision was somehow undemocratic, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Dobbs Decision was a victory for republican democracy. That really is no way to argue otherwise awful with any credibility. But the court did in dobbs was to return this question, this question of whether or in what circumstances abortion would be allowed. Returning that back to the people and to their elected lawmakers. This is a decision that is not taken off the table by the constitution. Because its not taken off the table by the constitution, it belongs to the people. Who can exercise that decision through their elected lawmakers. The American People now will be able to say whether and in what circumstances, and in what places, abortion will be regulated. This is how republican democracy in america works. This is how our republic was already intended and established to function. Justice alito, my former boss, and his well written majority opinion explain this point well. He said, quote, our decision returns the issue of abortion to those legislative bodies. It allows women on both sides of the abortion issue to seek to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion. Lobbying legislators, voting, and running for office, close quote. Thats it, page 65 of the dobbs majority opinion. It seems to me that the abortion industry, and the left, and those incumbent politicians whose campaigns are funded by the abortion industry, have gone through Great Lengths to scare the American People, convincing them that but dobbs does something that it doesnt do. It saddens me, that is doing all of this, or the cause of saying that its okay, and in fact is protected by the constitution to exterminate, to extinguish, and unborn human life but. It makes me wonder whether those making these arguments are simply afraid of American Republic of democracy, simply afraid of the American People, simply afraid that when able to make this decision on their own, freed from the judicial oligarchy that has reigned over this era, this area of the law for the last 49 years, that they wont make the same decision that the radical left with me. That seems to be the most plausible explanation for why they are so upset. Why they are calling it undemocratic. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is also important to note that this rain falls disproportionately on some communities. It falls disproportionately upon some races more than others. Black babies are at greater risk of being aborted than white babies. A new york city halt apartment reporter least about four years ago founded between 2012 and 2016, when the study was conducted, black mothers aboard at 136,026 babies, while giving birth to 118,127 babies. That is right, thousands, thousands of poor, black babies are boarded then born in new york city during that relevant time period. It should not come as a surprise, as you consider that planned parenthoods founder was a big fan of eugenics. Her plans were not what anyone would want to defend today on that front. She is someone who wanted to, quote unquote, assist the race towards the elimination of the unfit. These are not laudable goals. Miss harle, these reports from black women. The rate at which black women in new york city are getting abortions, they are heartbreaking. They are breathtaking. I hope to see states and acting stronger protections for life. Including, among other things, laws prohibiting abortions based on the race, sex, or disability of the baby. I hope these laws will protect all babies, including black babies. In your view, miss harle, is race sex or disability a valid reason to abort an unborn baby . Absolutely not, no one should be discriminated against based on the race, sex, or genetic makeup. Certainly no one should be killed because of any of those factors. These are the sorts of laws that states have been attempting to pass to protect the most vulnerable citizens from the fatal, lethal discrimination. Simply based on who they are or what they might look like. This is what roe has blocked states from doing. The people of the states were enacting lawmakers good policies, and roe was blocking it. Now the power has been given back to the people of the states to choose the sort of life affirming Life Protection policies that they want in their states and communities. Mister chairman, i see my time has expired but i want to note that what this harle just said is very legitimate. The doomsday calls for those on the left are ignoring common sense. They were ignoring what human instinct tells us about protecting the most vulnerable among us. Members of this committee, including some who are now attacking the Dobbs Decision once shared these views. Mister chairman, as i wrap up my remarks i ask unanimous consent to submit for the record a copy of a letter that you wrote on august 4th 1989, and what you said, among other things, i believe we should and to motion on demand. I continue to believe the Supreme Courts decision in roe v. Wade should be reversed, thank you, mister chairman. Without objection, i thank you. Thank you, mister chairman, Lieutenant Governor stratton i completely agree with you that it is the woman, not a bunch of politicians who should decide her bodily autonomy, as i listen to my colleagues who support the Supreme Courts recent decision, they lose sight, in my view, intentionally, they lose sight of who should be making the decision about what to do with our own bodies, us or a bunch of politicians. Professor burgess, you noted that Justice Alito shows 1868 as the historical basis for his decision, in overturning roe, i agree with you, what is so special about 1868. Not only that, with the attitude or approach of originalism, the justices who take that approach go all the way back to our Founding Fathers and pretend that they know what our Founding Fathers meant when they drafted the constitution. I use the word pretend because who would know what our Founding Fathers meant . Is there any reference to ar15 rifles in our constitution . No. So, you noted that this is an outcome based approach to our constitution, that is what Justice Alito applies. We when this committee had a hearing on the now justices kavanaugh and comey barrett, of course they said roe was precedent, every single decision of the Supreme Courts precedent, but they one group that can overturn precedent is the Supreme Court. And they are very busy doing so. In fact, i want to note and i am sure the professor is familiar with the decision that was made overturning about, which was basically a 40 year old Supreme Court precedent that enabled Public Sector unions to connect union fees and a decision called janice, they very similarly overturned that 40year decision thanks to the fact that Justice Gorsuch got on the court because, and just as a little died and they had a previous decision called fredericks, it was a decision the moment Justice Gorsuch got on that court, it was a 5 to 4 decision, overturning a boot. That is what the Supreme Court is busy doing the overturning precedent he. I do not know what is going to happen to other decisions that protect Constitutional Rights. Such as what Justice Thomas signaled about a bird of fell, the same sex marriage protection, that could be out the window if the Court Applies to these kinds of cases, a rational basis test rather than strict scrutiny, professor, do you share the concerns i have about where this court is going to go with some of these other decisions that have been made . Absolutely, i am very concerned about where the court is going to go, the logic of the Dobbs Decision, the method of constitutional interpretation that the majority is in the Dobbs Decision should frighten everyone who holds dear these rights that are necessary for people to live fully human lives with dignity in this country. Obergefell versus hodges, finding that there is a right to marry someone of the samesex, if you interrogate what was happening in 1868, no such right exists. Lords versus texas finding that there is a right to be free from criminal punishment for consensual sexual contact with an adult, such a right did not exist in 1868. Griswold versus connecticut, skinner versus oklahoma, pierce for society of sisters, mayer versus nebraska, i can go on and on, these rights that are important for marginalized people, marginalized and Vulnerable People who need these rights, those rights simply were not contemplated by the people who drafted and ratified the constitution, in 1789, in 1791, or in 1868. We should all be terrified. I agree, we have a radical group a very conservative justices who are going to be making further decisions like this. I have a question for doctor mike nicholas, you talk about the chaos that has been created as a result of this decision, i have been talking with some doctors, in hawaii. Why was the first state in the union to decriminalize abortion before the road decision. I have been talking to doctors that there is even an impact on what doctors are taught in medical school, for example, dnc is a procedure that is utilized for miscarriages, could medical schools in states like texas no longer teach doctors how to do dnc because they may be accused of performing an abortion . I appreciate that question, senator, yes, we are creating an entire cohort of physicians who are under prepared to take care of pregnancy emergencies, i think it is important to note that medications and procedures are simply that, what changes is the indication, the medications we use for medication abortion, the procedures that we used to perform procedures are the same, exact medicines and procedures we use for people who are expiring miscarriage loss. Thank, you thank you mister chairman. Thank you, senator, senator blackburn . Thank you, mister chairman, and thank you to each of you for taking the time to be here with us today, i really appreciate it. Miss harle i want to come to you first. The Dobbs Decision, i have been so interested to see a different legal scholars have approached this. I had read that Justice Ginsburg had weighed in on the failures of roe. I am going to quote from her, she said it seemed entirely to remove the law from the legislators court, and quote. And, Justice Alito had quoted Professor John hart characterization of roe as, and i am quoting his statement, not constitutional law. We as you look at this how do you explain the flawed reasoning of roe and how dobbs corrected the flaw . That is correct, legal scholars on the right and the left have talked about roes reasoning. Justice ginsburg, who was a proponent of a abortion as a policy matter recognized that its reasoning was fundamentally flawed and she predicted that it would very likely be overturned. If i connect this to discussion about the year 1868, the reason that is the touch point is because the abortion advocates have insisted that the right to abortion somehow emanates out of the penumbras of nonexistent workers in the due process clause of the 14th amendment. We also sometimes say meet me in the fourth, the fifth, or the ninth amendments. It is not the text, 1860 is the touch point because the argument is what the abortion advocates have. Lets turn to how the states are in the best position to handle this. I read the harvard harris, 44 of those wanted their state legislatures to set the abortion standards, only 31 wanted congress to do this. And, only 25 wanted judges. Why are the states and the best position to do this in a fair and equitable way . That is how the people get their voice heard. Through their elected lawmakers, in their states, they have a voice and a vote in a national policy, in 1970 3 46 states completely protected rights with extremely limited exception, and roe overturn that, recently that is what the American People wanted. What do you give states that are looking at taking this up . This is an opportunity, this is finally an opportunity that states have had with the shackles removed from rows judicial power grab, it is an opportunity for the people to have a voice through their elected lawmakers, to enact policies that support the dignity of women, that protect unborn life, that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens. And, protect the integrity of the medical profession to remove this barbaric procedure that destroys families, destroys communities, and has ended the lives of more than 60 million babies. I have talked women on all sides of this issue, as you can well imagine, i find it so interesting, once they realize that much of what they have heard in the Mainstream Media about there being a federal abortion ban is incorrect. They have realized this goes to the states, that changes the nature of the conversation. Miss mackie, i want to come to you for just a moment, planned parenthood gets about half a billion dollars a year that they can use to fund clinic work and provide health care. When i have heard from many of the clinics in tennessee is that planned parenthood does not provide the services that they need for maternal care. The services that they need post pregnancy. Talk with me a little bit about the services, what people are asking for. I thought this would be interesting to us as a committee, mister chairman. When we talk about all this money that planned parenthood gets, but then they do not meet these needs for women who are pregnant. And do want to carry that baby to term and have that baby. When they come to you, what services are they asking you for that planned parenthood does not provide . First off, thank you for asking that question because it is vitally important for everyone here to recognize the fact that as a director of alternative Pregnancy Center it is my responsibility to go out and raise, by myself, non Government Funds over one point 5 million every year. I have to figure out where one point 5 million is going to come from, so we can provide Free Services to women facing unplanned pregnancies, ironically where we are at in southern california, planned parenthood actually refers patients to us, once a woman walks in to them, this has happened countless times in the last multiple months, if they do not choose abortion they are referred to alternatives Pregnancy Center to be cared for, alternatives Pregnancy Center offers all of the support that they need, medical as well as Material Support the fact that planned parenthood sees the value of who we are and what we offer to women, i think that is important for everyone here to understand. Well, and mister chairman i think as we look at this issue this is something we would want to look at as to why they do not offer that full array of Health Care Services for women. Why are they choosing to make that referral to an agency to receive those full services, when they are receiving hundreds of millions and billions of dollars . I thank, you i yield my time. Thank you, senator whitehouse . Thanks, chairman, thank you to the witnesses for being here, there has been a certain amount of talk during this hearing about the environment in which the justices who wrote the Dobbs Decision have had to operate since that decision, i just wanted to flag in the general category of protest behavior, the experience that i had with clinics in rhode island in the 90s when i was u. S. Attorney in rhode island. I flag it in part because during justice contingent Brown Jacksons hearing witnesses were brought forward to propose the narrative that these engagements between protesters and people seeking services at clinics were done in the spirit of peaceful and loving engagement. I lived a very different experience than that in rhode island, and in massachusetts when i became u. S. Attorney, the environment outside of our planned parenthood clinic in providence was so hostile that we were well aware of it in law enforcement. Planned parenthood had had to figure out ways to have people escort women coming for services into their promises through extremely hostile and abusive crowds it reached a very bloody combination in december of 1994 when a clinic protester, we think the protesters went back and forth between massachusetts and rhode island pretty often a clinic protester one into a clinic in massachusetts and murder they receptionist, and shot up the place, wounding others. And then moved on to another clinic outside of boston, and murdered an employee, and shot others and then disappeared did not know where they were going. I got the news right away and called up the u. S. Marshal i said nobody knows where this guy is, right . And they said, nobody knows where this guy is. And because of all the threats, and all of the abuse of behavior that was happening outside of the planned parenthood clinic in providence, i said, while since we dont know where he is we could be next. We had better get over there right now. He and i went, it was a cold december day. We just stood outside of the planned parenthood clinic with the marshals and fbi agents. They ended up joining us. And the Providence Police took over security as it happened, the shooter drove right by on the highway, just a couple hundred yards away, and went southwards where he was ultimately arrested in virginia. He had gone right by. I will never know if you pulled off and decided to drive on if he was going by anyway. That is the environment we were working with. I want to make sure that was clear on the record. The business of this all being peaceful and loving engagement is just not consistent with what i saw with my own eyes, and what the people in those two blood spattered clinics in boston had to experience. I want to ask a very narrow question of dr. Cough mcnicholas. That is, whether there are occasions when entirely apart from the wishes of the mom, there are circumstances in which a doctor, in a pregnant say will make a decision or recommendation for a patient that an abortion is now medically necessary, either to save the life of the mother, or four other reasons in which it is the independent medical conclusion of the doctor . Doctors have to make hard decisions all the time, the best decision in that case is that you have to go ahead with the procedure to save the mothers life, or for the sake of their children, or whatever. Is that a thing that happens in real life . Thank you, senator, before i answer your question i just want to state the two women that were murdered that you referenced, that is shannon lousy who is 25, and leana nichols was 38. Thank you absolutely, every single day we see pregnancy complications that put peoples lives at risk, it is imperative that physicians have every tool at their disposal to make recommendations. And i say recommendations intentionally. We never tell people what they have to do, we give them information, we tell them what the risk is and the potential complications. And if dobbs, compounded by these antiabortion laws and state legislatures, what effect is that having on doctors ability to make those decisions and provide those services to women when medically necessary . In addition to the hat i wear for chief medical officer of planned parenthood i am also the elected official for the American College of obstetricians and gynecologists. Every single day we are hearing from our members that they are afraid, they are afraid to make decisions that they know at the best health care for people. They are afraid of how sick they have to wait for people to get before they can take care of them. Health conditions evolve, sometimes minute to minute. Sometimes day today. Sometimes it takes weeks, the truth is if we are setting up a system by which we are forcing people to sustain preventable morbidity and mortality, we are totally leaving and entire population of people behind. We are telling women that not only are they not allowed the decision to control their own body, but, now we are not going to allow you to control your own body when make decisions when it means that you could potentially be leaving the three children you have behind when you die from that delayed care, it is disgraceful, it happens every day and we are hearing every single day from people on the ground. I tell my 12yearold all the time, intense and impacts are different, whatever the intent is of overturning roe, the impact is utter chaos where people are being harmed thank you for telling us about that impact thank you, senator cruz . Thank you, mister chairman. The Supreme Courts decision in dobbs was a victory for democracy in america. Abortion is an issue on which the American People have strong and passionate views and disagree, as they witnesses here of this hearing demonstrate. Those disagreements have been longstanding and the way our constitution operates, typically on issues where there is sharp disagreement it is the democratic process that resolves that disagreement. When a Supreme Court sided roe v. Wade in 1973, seven unelected judges said to the American People, you are views do not matter. It desire to protect innocent life does not matter, we know better than you and we are going to prevent you from making decisions about protecting life. The consequence of that has been five decades of deep Political Division because the democratic process was prevented from operating. Now that a 63 majority of the Supreme Court has overturned that decision, question of abortion will return to the elected branches of government the democratic process will be allowed to operate, that will mean that in red and blue states we will tragically continue to see unlimited abortion on demand, and in red or states we will see some meaningful restrictions on abortions. Those restrictions will vary state by state. Depending on the values and mores of the citizens. That is how our constitution was meant to operate if you disagree with the abortion laws in your state, you have an outlet to express that disagreement. You have an outlet to be involved in the political process, you have an outlet to advocate for what you believe the law should be you are not forced to live under the rule of unelected judges offering as philosopher kings. And, decrying the rules for 330 million americans. I believe abortion is a tragedy, over 60 million unborn children have never brought a breath of air, have never lived, have never danced or hugged or loved, our country is far poorer for the millions of African American children who never had a chance to live and contribute to our country. Unfortunately, one of the consequences of the court taking this out of the democratic process is that todays modern Democratic Party has become radicalized on abortion. The case planned parenthood versus casey, a lot of people do not know that the casey in question was governor bob casey who is a democrat and was prolife todays Democratic Party has said if you are prolife get out your views are not welcome in our party part of the reason the democrats in this hearing are painting the Dobbs Decision as such apocalyptic terms is they know their view of abortion which is unlimited abortion on demand up until the moment of birth partial birth abortion with government funding, no parental notification, no parental consent, it is supported by a tiny minority of americans they know the voters, when given a chance to not support that radical view. And, i would point out there was a time when democrats used to say the same thing. We all remember bill clinton who said he wanted to see abortion safe, legal, and where. Todays Democratic Party does not want to wear it wants as much abortion as possible i will tell you this, when roe v. Wade was decided one democrat who spoke up against it was a fellow named joseph biden. Who said, in 1974 i do not like the Supreme Court decision on abortion. I think it went too far. I do not think that a woman has a sole right to say what should happen to her body. That was joe biden in 1974. You may say, okay, that was a long time ago. All right, lets go to 2007, 15 years ago. 15 years ago joe biden, he says you supported that ban on late term abortion, biden says i did. And i do, that was 15 years ago. Just weeks ago the democrats in this body voted to strike down every restriction on abortion across this country, including bans on partial birth abortion and every single democrat but one voted for it. Maybe you might say, you know, at joe biden was out of step. There is someone else who had similar views. The chairman of this committee in a june 1983 letter the chairman of this committee wrote, quote, i have clearly studied the issue of abortion and depth, i favor the amendment which states clearly the right to abortion is not guaranteed by the u. S. Constitution. The effect of this amendment will be to return us to the Legal Environment which existed before roe v. Wade in 1973. Signed, Richard J Durbin member of congress. That view continued in august of 1989. Chairman durbin wrote, and i quote, i believe we should and abortion on demand. And at every opportunity i have translated this belief into votes in the house of representatives. Continued to say, i continue to believe the Supreme Court decision in roe v. Wade should be reversed that was the view of a lot of democrats not very long ago. Todays Democratic Party is afraid of the voters on this issue. What the Supreme Court has done in return this deeply personal, deeply important, deeply contentious issue to the voters. To let the American People decide. That is democracy. All of us should be happy about it. Thank, you senator cruz, senator booker . Thank you, mister chairman, thank you to all of the women who have come here to testify, i know it is a sacrifice to come in for such an important day miss harle can i ask a quick question and for the sake of time can you give me a yes or no from your heart . If congress were to pass a National Abortion ban, would that be something you would support . I think our law should protect all human life, yes. Thank you very much, and miss stratton, there has been a lot said by my colleagues that seems to imply that allowing women to have access to safe abortion care is somehow racist against African Americans would you take a brief moment to address that for me . Absolutely, thank you for that question, first and foremost i would think, as we look at the disproportionate impact that abortion bans and restrictions have on black women in particular, and the harm that has been caused, it is cruel to deny that access to abortion is actually what is liberating for black women, to be able to have bodily autonomy and the ability to decide what is best for their bodies, their lives, and their futures i am a mother, as i said in my opening remarks of four daughters, three of whom are adults and i had to have a very painful conversation with them, first upon the leaked decision and then with the dobbs ruling about how could they possibly have fewer rights than their mother had . They should be able to decide for themselves and make a personal decision about what is in their futures. We have already had a conversation about Maternal Mortality rates, infant mortality rates, related to the Racial Disparities that are attached to that to talk about what happens with children and recognizing that after a child is born that they do not have access to resources, they are not given what is needed to address the systemic racism that they are going to be experiencing throughout their lives, to make sure that there is no help that is given to these families, black and brown families across our country, in the wake of these abortion bans and restrictions, it is contradictory to what so much of what we have heard today. This is not about helping, this is only going to harm and cause a measurable suffering. Thank you, dr. Bridges and dr. Mick nichols, to that point i have been looking at data and seeing states that provide great access to contraception, free access to contraception, lower rates of unwanted pregnancies, like colorado lower rates of abortion by empowering women and low income women in particular. In the dissent of the dobbs case they pointed out to me what was absurd, they reality that many of these states moving to create the most restrictive bans on abortion are the same states that are not doing the things that are obvious to lower the rates of maternal death,. Like expanding medicaid. This argument that they value life by not providing access to contraception, by not accepting medicaid, their states have some of the worst records for women dying, and pregnancy related causes. It seems like rank hockey to me, especially as it affects African American women who die three times more. I was wondering if you maybe, dr. Nichols and dr. Bridges, could as cogently as possible in a limited time i have left, can you talk about how these bands, in the name of life, are actually causing so much more data in communities . Especially for the loss of honorable and then . Im going to take 30 seconds i opacity. Thank you so much for that question. I want to also point out that the states that are passing the most restrictive laws around abortion are also the states that are preventing people from voting. Senator lee, senator cruz have talked about this Decision Just returned to the elected representatives of states, people can battle it out in this laboratory of democracy as to whether they want to protect feel life of the interest of the pregnant person. These are the same states that are stopping people from voting. Texas has the most restrictive voting laws on the books. Texas is s. P. A. s not represent the will of the majority of texas, texass votes represent the will of the majority of texas that is able to vote, in order for this to be a democracy we have to protect Voting Rights. Ill leave it to everyone in this room, as well as the rest of congress, to protect Voting Rights so that we can be a real democracy ask the indulgence of the chair, would you please respond . Thank you, so much, i think it has been well represented at the maternal matory mortality is the highest in states that are banning abortion and preventing access to things like expanded medicaid, and i will add one more thing. Which is that as a physician that cares for many black women, i trust the black women know what they want what they need for their own health care. Thank you for the endorsements, mister chairman senator cornyn . Thank you, mister chairman. Professor bridges, you and your testimony talk about the prevalence of abortion the law. The percentage of black babies that are boarded as posting on black babies. I think you said three or four times more black babies than non black babies are boarded. You also talk about systemic racism. Do you see any systemic Racism Associated with the prevalence of abortion for black babies as opposed to nor black babies . Absolutely, the higher rates of unintended pregnancy that lead to higher abortion rates among black people is a result of Structural Racism, systemic racism. I understand systemic racism not to be the boogie man who are trying to do black people into abortion care, i understand Structural Racism to be the systems that have made it so that black people disproportionately bare the burdens of poverty in this country they systems that have denied them the basics that they need in order to live humane lives like food, clothing, shelter, and health care. A system that responds with the criminal you believe there ought to be more a black baby supported, is that right . I believe we ought to create the conditions under which people can lead lives that are filled with dignity and humanity. And being able to in your way of thinking that happens when more black babies are boarded . I believe, trust, i love black people with the capacity for pregnancy. I think they have agency, they have intelligence, they know it is best for themselves. I would love to create the conditions under which they can live lives that are filled with dignity and humanity. Do you think a baby that is delivered, alive, has value . Yes. Do you think that a baby that is not yet foreign has value . I believe that a person with the capacity for pregnancy has value. They have intelligence, they have agency. Im talking about the baby. And talking about the person for pregnancy. Youre not answering the question. I am answering a more interesting question. Do you think of the baby is not yet born, lets say the day before the mother delivers, do you think that baby has value . I think the person with the capacity for pregnancy has value. They should have the ability to control what happens to their life. I would just know you refused to answer the question. Miss harle, the declaration of independence talks about certain unalienable rights, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When do you think that unalienable right to life attaches . Thank you, yes. Life is a human right. When i answered senator bookers question earlier, i think our laws should protect all human life. I was focusing on the hard part, i did not mean to suggest that it is a matter of Congressional Authority to enact the law that you described. But, i do think that the American People understand that you have no rights if you do not have the right to life that is a principle that our nation was founded upon and every human being from its earliest existence has its own dna. And has a future. If we do not extinguish it it has a future. That is a human right, that is the values and worries as senator cruz was speaking of that goes back to the founding of our nation. Even at common law, all the way up until 1973 when those life affirming laws in 46 states were turned on their heads by the Supreme Court. I believe thats what the American People believe, life is a human right. [inaudible] and any point in the pregnancy, is that correct . I am advocating for everyone to have the right to make the personal decision about his best for their life, their, body and their future. Everyone should have that right. Do not understand my question . My question is, are you advocating that there is a right to abortion at any time for any reason, at any point during a pregnancy. I am not sure if you understand my answer but, what i am saying is that. I understand you are not answering the question. What amazes me is the advocacy for unlimited abortion rights where there is zero value placed on an unborn child. I think senator cruz pointed out that abortion is a very emotional and divisive issue in our society. One reason why we have not had conversations like this is because of the Supreme Court saying you cannot talk about it, it is out of bounds, it is in the constitution. As opposed to it being decided in a form of legislative forum like the states. But i do not understand is the argument that the unborn child has zero value, the day before it is delivered. But then it still has value the day after it is born. Can you help explain that . Thank you so much, senator, i actually can. As a matter of fact, here in california there is a law about to be passed that basically will allow, as a woman, who is in the midst of a chemical abortion and she delivers a baby alive on the floor, at any stage of pregnancy. Or in a hospital, that baby, if this law is passed, has the ability to be born alive and left to die. And ottawa, a baby in or outside of the womb has value. We are not just talking about the value of a life. We are also talking about the value of a life in california after it is born. And allowing it to die. Up to 28 days after birth. Thank you. As we have heard today and testimony, both from my colleagues and from this panel, they conservative activist majority on the Supreme Court abandoned decades of precedent protecting the rights of women to choose their Reproductive Health course. It has immediate consequences for the autonomy and the health of millions and millions of women in this country. I am concerned that the restrictions that we have seen in dogs will further exacerbate inequalities and access to health care in this country. Some of the states, as my colleague senator booker just observed, are rushing to restrict this right at also have among the highest Maternal Mortality rates in this country. I am grateful that President Biden promptly took steps to mitigate the impacts of the courts policy decision. These topics are intensely emotional, divisive, and are challenging for us to work through inappropriate, safe, and constructive way. They are and should be the focus of discussion, debate, and action here and in the months ahead. I am going to focus my questions today on the radical legal implications of this activist Court Decision in dobbs. And, the very real human consequences. Weeks ago, generations of women and girls in our country understood the constitution protected them against being forced to bear children against their will. Today those same women and girls have been told at the right to make their own decisions about Reproductive Health is not a right, a freedom guaranteed under our laws. Depending on where they live that the state may force them to carry a pregnancy to term and give birth. If i might, professor bridges, the conservative history tradition analysis, as i understand it, seems to fundamentally shortchange the rights of women and other groups of people. Racial, religious minorities that have no power in the democratic process in the relevant time and key decisions were made this is fundamentally flawed. I would be interested in your brief comments and what the danger of the justices reliance on selective historical analyses to rollback a fundamental protected constitutional right. And, if this majority could engage in a moment of activism to reversed precedent that could protect womens bodily autonomy, one other fundamental rights might reasonably me imagine to be at risk . Right, looking to the nations history, whether that date is 1787, when the constitution was ratified. 1789 when the bill of rights was ratified, or, 1868 when the 14th amendment was ratified. Its a look at periods of the nations history and which marginalized populations, today, we are completely erased. I can talk about the lgbtq community. They were not contemplated by those who ratify the constitution. Their ability to live lives that have dignity, their ability to love who they love, and to marry who they marry. That was not contemplated by those folks who ratified the constitution, people of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, people with the capacity for brightness say all of those groups were not simply thought of. Their interests were not considered during that moment in the nations history. I can tell you the litany of cases that we offer to be worried about being reversed. Lawrence versus texas, loving versus virginia. Professor, what is a Common Thread across all of those cases . Some folks who are watching may not know as much as you do about the specifics of what kinds of freedoms are protected. We are talking about the court framed these cases, they link that links them is using the liberty term of the due process clause to recognize that people need the capacity to make decisions about their personal lives. About whether they create a family. About how they raise their family. About decisions regarding love, sex, marriage, and so to pull roll out of that threat of cases that have all recognize the right to privacy and liberty interest is to create chaos and to create uncertainty with regard to the cases that came after. Lawrence versus texas protecting samesex contact, same sex marriage as well as the cases that came before. Thank you, professor, that is an insightful comment on how much else is at risk and why this impacts fundamental rights that many of us, millions of us have come to rely on to make decisions about our own lives. A lot of families, about who we love and how we love and when and how we choose to have children. Lieutenant governor, if i might, im almost out of time. Nothing in the dobbs opinion block states from subjecting abortion providers, women, girls, and others seeking abortion care in trying to help them access abortion care to criminal penalties, is that correct . And sorry . There is nothing in the dobbs in the block states from seeking to access the abortion care do expect the result of this decision will have a whole series of efforts at the state level that will result and contentious litigation and the imposition of criminal penalties of folks who are simply trying to help family members access abortion care . I think that we are in the midst of seeing the kind of chaos that has been created by this decision, and what is happening all across the country. Where we are seeing different decisions, legislation that has been both proposed and passed. We have seen trigger laws, we have seen people seeking to travel from state to state, cross state lines. It is chaotic, it is something that is causing harm and causes insurmountable challenges, quite frankly, for those who are trying to figure out what is possible. We need to make sure that people have the right to make decisions about what is best for them, with their physician, not through politicians. That is exactly what has been opened up with this decision. Thank you, thank you to all of our witnesses. Thank you, senator coons. We are voting on the floor and trying to do both things mis thank you, mister chairman, thank you to the witnesses for being here. I want to visit with you, before i visit i want to make sure, i want to make sure you understand what you mean by a phrase doctor bridges. You referred to people at the capacity for pregnancy. Would that be women . Many says women have the capacity for pregnancy, many swiss women do not have the capacity for pregnancy. There are also trans men who are capable of pregnancy, as well as nonbinary people who are capable of pregnancy. So this is not really a womens rights issue,. We can recognize that this affects women will also recognize the impacts other groups. Those are not mutually exclusive, senator hawley. You are view is that the core of this right is about what . I want to recognize that your line of questioning is transphobic. It opens up transferable to violence by not recognizing them. I am holding a cable to violence by asking whether or not women are the only folks who have pregnancies . I want to know that one out of five transgender persons have attempted suicide. So, i think it is important because of my line of questioning . We cannot talk about it . Because nine a trans people exist and pretending not to know that they exist is transphobic. Im denying that trans people exist by asking if women are the only ones affected by pregnancies . Are you . Do you believe that men can get pregnant . Now, i do not. You are neither trans people exist. And that leads to violence . People had to question you in your classroom or they also treated like this . They are loud. I am opening up people to violence by questioning you . You should join, you might learn a lot. I would learn a lot, i have learned a lot in this exchange absolutely. Extraordinary. Miss, matzke let me ask you something. You provide health care to women, free of charge, is that right . Absolutely. You have licensed medical professionals in your Pregnancy Care Centers . Is that right . That is correct. What are some of the resources that you provide for women who come to you in a time of need . Give us that. You have talked about it in your written testimony give us a sense of it. We have free ob gyn doctors, fibrous registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, phlebotomy, medical substance, and we provide prenatal care, ob gyn care, we provide pregnancy tests, well women visits, breast exams. We provide a wide range of medical services. Yes. So, what do you think about the d. C. Politicians that are now saying that your clinic, and the other 3000 pregnancy carrot hunters around this country are fake medical clinics . For instance, senator warren has said it is now more important than ever to crack down on socalled Crisis Pregnancy Centers that mislead and deceive patients. Senator menendez, crisis pregnancies hunters jeopardize Womens Health and wellbeing. All well elevating unproven theories about birth control. Senator warner wrote to google, asking them to censor search results for care centers like yours. Saying directing women to fake clinics that pratt traffic in misinformation is dangerous to Womens Health and underlines the integrity of Google Search results. Do you run a fake clinic . Is that is what is happening here . You do not provide actual medical care to actual women . We absolutely do not run a fake clinic. We have a full medical staff like i said, many of our medical professionals have experienced abortion for themselves. Including our og ob gyn doctor, who used to perform abortions. Our entire medical staff is there for women. Whether they choose abortion and walk out the door, or whether they choose life or their baby and we support them for years after that. Do you think there ought to be an ideological test to be able to get medical care in this country . Should we say the woman you have to agree with the d. C. Democrats ideology . Otherwise you cant get medical care maybe for you, and the positions that work at your Pregnancy Care Center or the thousands of others across the country. Should we impose an ideological test on them and say we have to agree with the d. C. Democrats position on abortion . You cannot provide medical care for women. Should we do that in this country . Absolutely not. I just want to ask him a few remaining seconds. Miss farley, the Dobbs Decision, as i understand, i have read it a number of times. It gives to voters the decision as to what law should be pertaining to life and abortion. In other jurisdictions around the country. I am just curious, do you know what percentage of voters in this country support the d. C. Democrats position that they want to impose on the entire country, a one size fits all role. They want to impose from the top down. Do you know what percentage of voters support their position, which is also the same position taken by north korea, china, other notable violators of human rights . You know it percentages . I know that nearly 90 of americans oppose abortion in the third print trimester. Another number of them would support abortion up to the moment a berth needs to be miniscule, or if it policy. Based on the most recent harvard poll that was just released a few days ago, it is less than 10 of voters say they would support abortion into the final month of pregnancy. And yet, that is the law that the d. C. Politicians want to impose on every voter in america to take it away from the people, take it away from my, state take away from all the other states and the voters of the states. Imposing this law, uniformly, that is not supported by 90 of the American People. Talk about antidemocratic. At the same time, it will shut down 3000 Pregnancy Care Centers all around this country. That is radical, thank you for being here. Senator padilla . Thank you, mister chair, thank you for your participation today. I believe we are all aware, we signed a crucial executive order seeking to protect access to Reproductive Health care nationwide. Well i appreciate president s efforts and the importance that his administration has placed on this issue, as we have discussed here the hearing today, people of color, they are economically disadvantaged families. Immigrants and members of tribal communities have faced significant barriers to receiving Adequate Health care, even before roe was overturned. Those barriers will only further increase now. In a country where the black Maternal Mortality rate is triple that of white women, we should not be forcing any ones to carry pregnancies to term that they wish to terminate for health or other reasons. Period. If we are serious about protecting lives in america we should be ensuring that mothers across the country have every medical resource available. Anything lasts is simply unacceptable. My first question is for professor bridges. Since you are from my home state of california. In your written testimony you mentioned how the hardest effects of dogs will fall on black people. Black women, black families. Can you describe how this decision will impact the Maternal Mortality rate for black women . Absolutely, as you have already noted black people with the capacity for pregnancy have a Maternal Mortality rate that is 3 to 4 times the rate of their white counterparts. I also think it is important to mention maternal morbidity, severe maternal morbidity, all right so that a twice of white counterparts. Meaning that we have to go through a lifesaving intervention like a hysterectomy in order to keep our lives during pregnancy, childbirth, or the postpartum period. Removing Abortion Access, removing the ability to safely terminate a pregnancy, compels birth which is simply more dangerous for black people. I just wanted to mention that this is not inevitable, black people do not have a gene that causes us to just die. These are social causes of those disparities in Maternal Mortality and morbidity. Meaning that we as a society im not invested the resources that can make pregnancy, and the push button period safe for black people. Thank you. A question for the Lieutenant Governor stratton. I respect that illinois has taken steps to ensure that abortion remains illegal for all. Regardless of their background. Can you elaborate a little bit on how the elimination of abortion restrictions is central in achieving reproductive, as well as economic and Racial Justice . Absolutely, thank you, senator, for that question. First and foremost, in addition to the conversations that we have been having about Maternal Mortality. And the disproportionate impact on black women in particular, i want to talk about some of the other longlasting restrictions that we will see from longlasting impacts of the restrictions where bans to abortion. This includes an increased risk of intimate Partner Violence, we know that for pregnant people intimate Partner Violence and, in fact, it is one of the leading causes of homicide for, homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women. We know there will be increased health problems, regardless of Maternal Mortality, but also that exist far beyond that point of giving birth. As well as the financial and economic risks, the strain, the increased evictions, the increased poverty, living in longterm poverty, being in that. Listen, i am a mother to four daughters and i can tell you, for everybody who is a parent raising a child is expensive. To talk about forcing someone to become a parent and give birth, and to carry out a pregnancy to term. When that is not with that person wants. That has been stated before by professor bridges. It is a form of violence, so you should be able to choose what is best for themselves. Politicians are not health care professionals. And we should be able to have that bodily autonomy to decide not just what is best for our bodies but also whats best for our futures. Maybe is not the right time to start a family. We should be able to decide that for ourselves as we have four the last 50 years. My final time is limited, i will truncated i question just to ask one final question. Recognizing that the majority opinion Justice Alito wrote about the broader implications, the majoritys decision to overturn roe. In concurrence to Justice Alitos opinion, Justice Thomas makes explicitly clear that no those other rights are not actually not to hear me. Weve invited the Supreme Court to take up to revisit other areas what we believe to be settled law professor, does the reasoning and Justice Alitos opinion strike down roe actually, is it possible or could it be applied to other areas of law that could go backwards on access to contraception, rights as it pertains to marriage, and other fundamental rights . Absolutely, the courts protestations that it is not at all touching those cases rings very hollow. The logic of the decision, the methodology of constitutional interpretation, they all leave those decisions that Justice Thomas himself highlighted open to revisiting and reversal. Thank you,. Senator ossoff . Thank you, mister chairman, thank you to our panelists for your testimony and your presence today. I believe i may be concluding this hearing, one more after this. I would like to focus these few minutes, if i might, on the real world impacts on the consequences for Womens Health. Womens lives, womens risk of death, and leave us injury. Of laws such as the one on the books not yet in forest but perhaps soon, hp 41 in georgia, which bans abortion beginning at six weeks before we even know they are pregnant. Was very limited exceptions. And, in other states where even more draconian and extreme bans on abortion are on the books. Just waiting to be enforced as this decision, and its implications make their way through the courts. Dr. Make nicklaus, based upon your experience, when a State Government steps in and decides they will regulate pregnancy, and forbid a woman in consultation with her doctor from making the personal choice about her pregnancy. As early as six weeks in pregnancy, whats are the implications for women self . Thank you so much, senator, for raising the issue. I want to recognize your probably closest to the issue with some personal experience. Your wife being an ob gyn. And itcertainly you have heard e of the stories, they truth is pregnant say its complicated. It can become lifethreatening and any moment i am going to go radical and say i have alerts lots of talk about whether this should be decided at the state level, the federal level, im going to go bold and say it should actually be considered in the medical world. This is a health care issue, it is not a decided by state or federal representatives. It should be decided by a patient and their family. They are the only person who should know whether it is appropriate to start a family or expand their family. I have had so many examples over my life and my career of just how complicated pregnancy can get, and just how quickly someone can go from completely healthy to on the verge of death. Pregnancy is no joke, as we see more and more states deny access to this lifesaving care we will see more people harmed. We are already seeing that, in the wake of texas and oklahomas bands we saw an increase of more than 120 from people outside of our area. All of this talk about abortion later in pregnancy, i am going to tell you about the only relevant fact about abortion and pregnancy right now is that these bands will push people later in pregnancy when they are having their abortions. It will not be because of the work that i do that people get abortion later in pregnancy. It will be because of all these people who support bands. That is why people have abortion later in pregnancy. I would like to continue, doctor, with a discussion on the impact of the practice of medicine. These are extraordinarily complex medical cases. Yes, absolutely. Particularly for folks who are experiencing either worse chronic medical conditions, or new conditions related to pregnancy specifically. It is so imperative that physicians, their entire care team, which includes obstetricians, and perry natoologist, and neonatologist, pediatricians, they have every tool available to them. So that they can prevent patients with all of their options, to preserve their health. As i think about the phone calls im getting from physicians across the state of missouri in my role as a leadership, when im hearing is people saying my hospital spent me a policy that says i have to wait until their blood count drops. Or until their vitals are unstable, before i can take them. I have to wait until it is clear that they are so sick that their infection is so bad, and they now require intensive care. These are completely preventable occurrences that impact pregnant is to follow. We talk about people leaving families. If and when people are dying from delayed care, theyre leaving behind kids. They are leaving behind families. There are some real, tragic impacts we will see in the coming days, weeks, and months. Doctor, i might ask you your opinion, who are the people in the world best qualified to determine when someones life is at risk, one someones health is at risk, and what health care someone needs . You know, about 16 years of education and lots of years of practicing sitting at the bedside with patients, and learning from my colleagues and different specialties. Physicians, Health Care Providers are the ones who are best prepared to decide. And, the truth is that is why we have seen, in recent days, more than 75 professional medical organization sign on to a statement contesting this decision. We are not talking just go be dwight hands. We are talking rheumatologist, oncologist, psychiatrist, anesthesiologist. People who prayerfully touch abortion care but, recognize how dangerous it is. That physicians are now being told that there is not a clinical expertise that should guide the health care they provide. That it is actually the attorney general, or lawyers, their opinion about whether that is sick enough it is tragic, it will put people in harm mister chairman, i yield back. Thank you, we are joined by senator blumenthal, who is recovering from covid. I hope he is with us are you there . I am with you, mister chairman, and hope that you can hear me. And that the witnesses can hear me. I want to begin by thanking every one of them for being with us today. I apologize that i am with you remotely. This hearing has been in lightning, and i just want to begin by saying that in the last few weeks i have traveled around the state of connecticut to clinics, providers in waterbury, new haven, near london, hartford. And, as much as i have felt there anguish, anger, and fear about the future, i am also impressed by there is a lance. And the resolve to continue providing this essential Health Care Services. The connecticut, fortunately, decades ago enacted a law that enshrines roe v. Wade. I lead that effort in the 1990s consequently, connecticut has been confident of those rights all these times. But, now we face at the federal level the same challenge. I am hoping to lead the effort on the Womens Health protection act, any senator, any person who says they are in favor of choice should be in favor of the Womens Health protection act senators who say they are prochoice should vote in favor of the Womens Health protection act. Unfortunately, no republican voted in favor of it last time we had a vote, just months ago. That is one of the ways to protect reproductive rights. We have other things pending, such as the bill on the privacy of medical records, the rights of travel. The house will be voting this week on some of those. But, in the meantime i commend President Biden for moving forward with protections. I urge that hed clery national emergency. Which really face an emergency every bit as dire as the opioid epidemic, and covid crisis which have prompted declarations about emergency in the past. I urge that President Biden, as we said to him recently, declare that emergency. Governors testimony tha very bluntly, i was so impressed by the illinois Lieutenant Governors testimony that we face a future rife with needless death. The plain fact is that dobbs is a death sentence for many women around our country. They will come to states like connecticut, which has moved forward, and in the past year it has moved forward with three reproductive Freedom Defense act it provides productions unparalleled among any state so far in the country, although a number have enacted row protections such as illinois, delaware, and others either by statute or a statute of order. Connecticut has gone further by creating rights of action for individuals who are pursued by bounty hunters that claw back the cloth. It will not cooperate with extradition attempts or other kinds of criminal enforcement attempts by texas, oklahoma, or other states that have laws. It will be about 26 of them. Heres my question to Lieutenant Governor stratton. States like connecticut an illinois pace an impending surge of women seeking their rights, health care rights, reproductive rights, human rights in our states. What we face is unprecedented cost to our health care system. To the clinics. What would you recommend . I understand resources may be a part of it, at the federal government do to help those states that face this impending crisis . Thank you, senator, for that question. Let me begin by saying that i hope you are well, and on the road to recovery, a full and complete recovery. The Biden Harris Administration should explore all of the available tools at its disposable to the broadest extent that it can under the law to protect access to abortion. This Administration Must also challenge the roe decision through the department of justice guidance and protections, and, through as much administrative action as possible. As you mentioned, senator, this is a National Health crisis. It is not going to work, we have seen the chaos that has happened and it is not going to work with everyone doing their own thing. People will die, that is just a fact. We are seeing that already, we know that the action of this administration cannot be unilateral, so i thank you for your leadership on the Womens Health protection act. We need to make sure that the administration works with congress to pass additional abortion protections and sign the Womens Health protection act passed and signed into law. Codify it right to reproductive freedom, eliminates the Hyde Amendment restrictions because we know that that also prevents people from getting access to care. And, passing and signing into law the each act to make sure that Health Insurance will cover Health Coverage through federal funds. And then, of course, each of these laws must be implemented. Is a call to make sure everything is done. As i mentioned in my remarks, which you have, my opening remarks. We have also talked about creating some sort of habit so that there could be some sort of coordination amongst states to make sure that women, that people, americans are getting the health care that they deserve. And need. We need a kindthanks for that answr governor. In the couple of moments that i have left, let me emphasize we need a kind of reproductive rights, or Health Care Triage right now, facing tremendous burden in states like illinois and connecticut, which provide a kind of safe harbor, will safe Going Forward with their providers in clinics, and everyone you just mentioned. It needs to be explore. Particularly a Public HealthEmergency Declaration which would enable more resources. Medicare, medicaid be provided because resources will be so very important. I thank you for your leadership. I believe that women who are residents of safe harbor states like connecticut will be assured by the resolve of our governor and legislature that they will stay true to the course but we must prepare to provide this essential right to women around the country who will come to our state. And make sure we have the resources to fill the gap. Thank you so much mister chair. Thank you senator. I think everyone will that is been part of. This no other members are rich evening recognition. There are 30 and 40 years old. It is true that my position on this subject to change but it might be of interest to you why change. When i was a member of the house of representatives, there was a major offer to send money to pell and parenthood for flatly planning and risk control. It cannot be used for abortion procedures. In my mind, that is sensible. In my mind, Family Planning and parenthood gives two women an option to control and plan their pregnancies. Doesnt that make sense . So i voted for the Family Planning and birth control. They said, well we wont support you said in my supporters. I sat down, i know exactly where it was, in quincy, illinois, in a home for young people who are in trouble, in their teens, and sat down with two young women who are about to turn 18, one a victim of incest, one a victim of rape, and they told me their stories. They wanted to tell me. I left that meeting with an understanding that i never had before. About the complexity of the decision behind the abortion procedure. Some people think its just a simple think of, but i think its much more serious and most instances. I thought to myself, as an individual member of congress, are you ready to apply a law that applies to every woman in america . No. It really has to be her decision. We can regulated as we should, but at that point i made my break, and i have stood for election in the house and senate many times since then, so ive seen these letters before, and i will see them again im sure. Thank you all for being here. With the Dobbs Decision, Young Americans have been thrust into a world where they do a fewer rights than their parents and grandparents. That realities the condemnation of the courts conservative majority at the extent which with they have shaken American Peoples faith in the rule of law. Fearful of the world that is coming their way, Francis Bacon once said, truth is the daughter of time, not authority. Progress may not always follow a linear past, we might move at a prodding plugging pace than in due time progress and truth will arrive. To quote justices kagan with the framers of the constitution understood the world changes. They defined rights in general terms to permit future evolution in their scope and meaning. The stoli of americas the story of that future we have a lot of work to do to leave americans a future in a better position than the world that we have handed them. This hearing is the first, i think organized serious hearing in the senate on the subject. It wont be the last. Because haitian continues. I think all the members of the panel for joining us today. The committee stands adjourned