The committee will now come to order. Good morning to everyone. The purpose of this hearing is to examine how state policies like those in missouri are impacting residentsaccess to comprehensive Reproductive Health care services, including abortion. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the committee at any time. For audience purposes, we welcome you and respect your interest in being here. In turn, we request and we ask you to respect the proceedings as we go forward in todays hearings. With that, i will now recognize myself to give an Opening Statement. I would like to begin by acknowledging that this is the First Full Committee Hearing we have held since our friend, our colleague and our beloved chairman Elijah Cummings passed away. Chairman cummings spent his entire life fighting for justice and equality for everyone. And he was a fierce champion for womens access to health care. Across the country extreme forces in some State Governments are taking draconian steps to violate womens rights by restricting access to Reproductive Health services, including abortion. Thee state actions include prerequisite undue burdens, restrictions and outrageously invasive procedures for patients seeking abortions. Let me be clear about what these restrictions are. They are a denial of basic Health Care Services that women have a right to receive no matter where they live. I want to thank my very good friend congressman clay for his leadership in requesting todays hearing. Missouri has taken some of the most extreme actions to limit access to Reproductive Health care. Missouri is one of six states with only one remaining Abortion Provider. And as we will hear today, it is at risk of having no providers at all. Missouris one remaining clinic is planned parenthood, and we thank that clinics director dr. Mcnicholas for testifying here today and for her brave service to the women in her Community Every single day. Earlier this year dr. Randall williams, the director of the Missouri StateHealth Department, ordered planned parenthood to perform medically unnecessary pelvic examinations on every single woman seeking an abortion. This was an invasive statesponsored abuse of women seeking care. After significant public backlash the state suspended this cruel practice. But dr. Williams also recently was forced to admit that he directed state employees to collect information about patientsmenstrual cycles to advance his ideological crusade. That is what they were spending taxpayersdollars on. I can not begin to describe my disgust at these violations of privacy and breaches of trust by government officials. Sadly, missouris actions are not taking place in isolation. Other states have pushed for similar restrictions. I believe these states have been emboldened by the Trump Administrations systemic attacks on Reproductive Health care and general disrespect for women. In 2012 our former chairman daryl issa held a hearing in this room, in this committee, with an allmale panel of religious leaders who were trying to take away contraceptive coverage for women. They did not invite one single woman to testify on that panel. Then they refused our request to have sandra fluke, who was a Georgetown Law School student at the time, testify about the importance of Health Insurance coverage of contraceptives. They said she was, and i quote, not qualified, end quote. It was at that hearing that i asked in protest where are the women . It is time to let women speak and it is time for everyone to listen. It is time for elected representatives here in congress and in statehouses across the country to protect the right to privacy and a womans right to Abortion Services rather than attack it, undermine it and try to eliminate it. I want to thank jennifer box for sharing her familys story with us. No one should ever have to make the heartbreaking decision that you and your husband had to make. But it is your decision and it does not belong to anyone else. I also want to thank Marcella Howell from in our own voice, which is part of the National Black womens reproductive justice agenda, and fatemah gossgraves from the Womens National law center for all her work and for being here today and for helping the committee and me on this subject. I now recognize the Ranking Member jordan for his Opening Statement, and i yield back. Thank you, madam chair. I want to thank our witnesses for being here today. In the declaration of independent signed 243 years ago our Founding Fathers enshrines the principle that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable for everyone. Can you really pursue happiness . Can you chase down your goals and dreams if you first dont have freedom . If you first dont have liberty . And do you ever enjoy true liberty, true freedom if government wont protect your most fundamental right, your right to live, your right to life . Life is precious. Its a sacred gift from god. During an earlier time here in congress, whatever disagreements that we had, colleagues who didnt share those beliefs there was a common understanding about this fundamental principle. That life, in fact, is precious. Over the past few years it seems our two sides have moved away from this basic understanding. Today my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will charge me and republicans as being against women. Democrats will say if youre not for them in this position, their position on this issue, then youre against all women. We want all people, including women and babies, to have access to worldclass health care. Statements to the contrary are simply false. And are meant to divide our country. Today this congress is in the midst of an unprecedented impeachment inquiry against President Trump. I am proud that President Trump is one of the most prolife president s to ever lead our nation. President trump has taken bold steps to stop federal funding of abortions and enabled better Legal Protections for Health Care Workers who are opposed to providing, assisting or participating in thee procedures. The hearing today is an attack on that prolife record. Todays culture, standing for life, its not easy. Im always guided by one of my favorite scripture verses. Fight the good fight. Finish the course. Keep the faith. Thats what we have to do. Keep the faith in those basic principles outlined in that document that started our nation over 200 years ago. We came to this congress to fight for the right of all americans to have life, liberty and pursue happiness. I yield back. I will i will now yield one minute to the member from the great state of missouri, lacy clay, who requested this hearing. Thank you, madam chairwoman. I along with my constituents appreciate your calling this hearing today on an urgent issue that threatens the health and personal freedom of millions of american women. The assault against a womans right to make their own Health Care Decisions is an insult to the basic values of individual freedom and limited government. Nowhere in the nation is that assault more urgent than in my home state of missouri, specifically in the city of st. Louis which i am so proud to represent. Planned parenthood of st. Louis is the last remaining Womens Health care clinic in the entire state of missouri. That also provides Abortion Services. I visited the clinic staff and physicians this past june as the battle was elevating, and i wanted to lend my support and voice to their efforts. As a husband, father, and brother, i support and trust the private personal Health Choices of women. I am truly amazed that the Missouri Department of health would along with efforts to shut down the clinic intimidate patients and threaten providers and would allegedly and bizarrely track womens menstrual periods on spreadsheets to determine if they had had an abortion. No woman should be subjected to this violation of their personhood. This is america. Its her body. Its her health care and its her decision. I stand with planned parenthood because they are truly on the front lines of defending Womens Health care across america. Madam chairwoman, i would also like to introduce into the record a personal statement by ms. Meevie, the director of policy and planned parenthood advocates in missouri. Without objection. So ordered. Thank you. I yield back. And i will now yield time to the member from the great state of north carolina, dr. Fox. Thank you, chairwoman maloney. I welcome you to your first hearing as acting chairwoman and look forward to continuing working together in your new role. Weve had a productive working relationship over the years, and i commit to continuing in that spirit. I want to say that my sympathy goes out to any woman who feels she must seek an abortion. It must be a horrible situation to be in. But i will admit that i am perplexed by the scope of the hearing. After all, my colleagues on the other side are quick to assert that roe v. Wade is, quote, the law of the land. However, planned parenthood v. Casey clearly allows states to implement abortion restrictions, even ones that apply during the first trimester of pregnancy. States are grappling with issues of how to depend and preserve life and support high standards for Womens Health care. As states continue to explore ways to do so in recent years, we are now at a reflection point. After the governor of virginias horrific comments earlier this year, theres been a National Outcry over the apathy shown by the proabortion Movement Towards babies that have been born after an abortion. This is an issue thats very close to my heart and the hearts of millions of americans. Im going to quote the governor. If i mothers in labour, i can tell you exactly what would happen, the infant would be delivered, the infant would be kept comfortable, the infant would be resuscitated if thats what the mother and the family designed. Then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother, end quote. During testimony on floridas born alive bill expressed support for serving an abortion survivor on the table to die. If that is what the patient and abortionist decided. In new york, the Reproductive Health act signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo removes protections for children born alive during abortion attempts. Leaving them at the mercy of the abortionist who just minutes earlier was trying to kill them. Illinois has also enacted a law that repealed the illinois partial birth abortion act and removes licenses requirements for abortion facilities. Still other states, notably massachusetts and virginia having proposed legislation equally as alarming. Only 2 3 of the states have any laws to protect infants who survive abortion and that positively enshrine their right to life into law. Thats simply unacceptable. Madam chairwoman, respectfully, in light of these events, i hardly find that anyone is losing access to anything. Anyone say the defenseless, the unborn. The unborn and now even born alive, they are the ones having their rights deprived and the American People find this intolerable. I find it to be an abomination. The pendulum in the state is not one thats swinging against women. Not in the slightest. Some of my colleagues used to espouse the idea that abortion should be safe, legal and rare. They espouse it no longer. Instead, ondemand access to abortion up to and even tragically after birth is the new mantra. The fact that extremists are working to keep this everexpanding restriction on the right to life buttressed against the lives of babies born outside the womb, this should be a wakeup call to us all. I call on Speaker Pelosi to end her blockade against the bipartisan born alive survivors protection act. This bill would protect babies born alive in the remaining 1 3 of state jurisdictions that fail to do so. Life is sacred. And the regard with which we hold it is what defines who we are as a society. We live in a society that mistakes choice for liberty and denies the dignity of unborn life. But the beauty of living in a free country is that we can use our liberty for love. We must put love into action every day. Affirming the value of life at all stages. No matter the difficulties it presents. Striving to love daily is not easy yet it is the greatest exercise of our freedom. And theres no life unworthy of that love. I yield back, madam chairman. Thank you. I will now briefly yield to congressman clay to introduce his constituent, dr. Mcnicholas. Thank you, madam chair, and im happy to introduce to the committee one of my distinguished constituents, a highly skilled physician who has dedicated her life to providing Exceptional Health care for all women. The chief medical officer of planned parenthood of the st. Louis region and southwest missouri, dr. Colleen mcnicholas. Dr. Mcnicholas has also served a distinguished assistant professor of gynecology at Washington University of medicine in st. Louis, and dr. Mcnicholas is also a champion for Closing Health care disparities like high maternal and infant mortality rates that affect minority and lowincome patients most because of a lack of access to basic medical care. Dr. Mcnicholas performs her duties with skill and compassion. She is a compassionate healer who fiercely defending her patientsrights and their privacy as well. Dr. Mcnicholas is a warrior for access to Quality Health care for women, not just in st. Louis but across missouri and across the nation as well. Welcome, doctor. I yield back. Thank you, congressman. We are also joined by jennifer box from st. Louis, missouri, and she was holding that beautiful baby girl. And also were joined with fatima gossgraved president and executive officer of the National Womens law center. And ali stuckley from texas and Marcella Howell, founder and president , chief executive officer in our own voice National Black womens reproductive justice agenda. If you would all please rise and raise your right hand, i will begin to swear you in. And raise your right hand. Do you swear to affirm that the testimony youre about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you god . Let the record show that the witnesses answered in the affirmative. Thank you and please be seated. The microphones are sensitive, so please speak directly into them. Without objection, your written statement will be made part of the record, and with that, ms. Box, you are now recognized for your Opening Statement. Good afternoon acting chairwoman maloney, Ranking Member jordan and members of this committee. My name is jennifer box. Im a mother of three living children, and as you saw, i am here today with my 3monthold aft astrid and my husband jake. Im a small businessowner, a wife and a missourian. Im here to tell you the story of our daughter libby. Ill also here to share with you as someone who was in need of an abortion how difficult my home state of missouri makes it for pregnant people to access abortion. Libbys story is heartbreakingly linked with the Political Landscape in missouri. Something i never imagined i would have to navigate when learning the most devastating news of our life. It was almost in the same breath that i learned my pregnancy had a fatal fetal diagnosis that i learned my home state of missouri would insert itself in the middle of my grief. I searched for answers everywhere and yet we found now solace in them. Our daughter if not stillborn will be born into a life of invasive medical intervention. She essentially would have been born on to life support. With broken hearts we knew that the greatest act of love that we could undertake as her parents would be to suffer ourselves instead. To end the pregnancy, grant libby peace and spare her tiny, broken body a short life full of pain. We had made our decision and were still grappling with the reality of it. But there was little time to spare. Missourians like me who seek abortion are confronted with a litany of onerous restrictions, including mandatory waiting periods, private and public insurance bans, and form consent laws and more. This means that i moved at the direction of the government. For example, my doctors Catholic Hospital where i delivered my two older children refused me care. We had to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket because of the states insurance bans against abortion coverage. And perhaps most surprising, our procedure was rushed due to the states consent and mandatory delay laws. Despite how difficult it was to access the medical care i needed, my actual abortion procedure was the most Compassionate Care i have ever received from a physician. Jake and i left that day knowing that we had made the most loving and merciful choice for our daughter. I thought after the procedure was over my family could begin to heal privately. I never imagined watching the state of the union and hearing the president refer