Press Release
Vice President Kamala Harris Joins Rally for Reproductive Rights at Howard University
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2023
Contact:
Press: [email protected]
NARAL Pro-Choice America: [email protected]
American Civil Liberties Union: [email protected]
Planned Parenthood Action Fund: [email protected]
EMILYs List: [email protected]
Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, April 25 Vice President Kamala Harris joined reproductive rights advocates at Howard University to affirm the fundamental right to abortion and the full range of reproductive health care. The rally comes days after the Supreme Court issued a stay in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, blocking lower court restrictions on mifepristone, a safe and effective drug used by more than 5 million people in the U.S. for abortion and miscarriage care since the FDA approved it decades ago. The case, brought by anti-abortion extremists, signals a threat to institutional norms and access to abortion nationwide.
Reproductive rights advocates and health experts released the following statements:
Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America:
“Reproductive freedom is under attack, and we can’t back down from this fight. Today, Vice President Harris affirmed again that the Biden-Harris administration will always defend our fundamental freedoms. While access to medication abortion is imperiled by corrupt courts and GOP extremists look to criminalize abortion and put doctors in jail, the vice president is doing everything in her power to make sure every American is free to make their own decisions about their bodies. We know that 8 in 10 Americans are with us—and we’ll continue to work side by side with them and our champions, including the Biden-Harris administration, until reproductive freedom is a reality for all.”
Deirdre Schifeling, National Political Director, American Civil Liberties Union:
“Though the Supreme Court did its job by maintaining the status quo for medication abortion access, it’s terrifying to think that millions came within hours of losing access to a safe and effective medication for no other reason than radical political ideology. At the same time as the threat to our reproductive freedom has reached unprecedented levels, the same groups are advancing a campaign taking aim at a wide-range of other fundamental rights. Extremists are passing laws to restrict children’s education, undermine democracy, and ban transgender kids from school sports. These attacks are intertwined, and the path forward runs through engaging voters to demand fair and free elections, protect our democracy, and demand that elected officials represent them. Together, we will fight to fully realize the promise of freedom and equality for every person in this country.”
Alexis McGill Johnson, President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Action Fund:
“Young people are navigating a world with fewer rights than the generations before them. Attacks on freedom are taking many forms — whether it’s reproductive freedom, freedom to cast a vote, or even freedom to learn history as it happened. But with every challenge to our ability to live freely, and each dangerous attempt to control their bodies, lives, and futures, the people have shown their own resolve time and again. It is clear that the fight for reproductive freedom isn’t just a moment. Momentum continues to be on our side. Together — along with people and leaders at every level of government — Planned Parenthood Action Fund and our partners will fight to do everything in our power to protect and rebuild our rights.”
Laphonza Butler, President, EMILYs List:
“The fight for reproductive freedom today is about winning the dignity of tomorrow. Today, if we let Republicans pass laws that ensure women are less equal without accountability, we condemn future generations to less rights, less hope, less freedom, less humanity. The fight for our future is right now. We must fight for it today and every day moving forward.”
Dr. Serina Floyd, OB/GYN:
“As an abortion provider, I see first-hand the chaos, confusion, fear, and anxiety that these unrelenting attacks on our reproductive freedom cause. Judges, courts, and politicians have no business interfering in my ability — providers’ and support staffs’ ability – to do our jobs and serve our patients. Health care needs to be more accessible — not harder. This is an important moment – and I am so grateful to our leaders who are standing up to protect patients and the ability of providers and our teams to do this work.”
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About NARAL Pro-Choice America: For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. NARAL is powered by its 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
About the ACLU: For more than 100 years, the ACLU has worked in courts, legislatures, and communities to protect the constitutional rights of all people. With a nationwide network of offices and millions of members and supporters, the ACLU takes on the toughest civil liberties fights in pursuit of liberty and justice for all. For more information on the ACLU, visit https://www.aclu.org.
About Planned Parenthood Action Fund: Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational, advocacy, and limited electoral activity, including grassroots organizing, legislative advocacy, and voter education.
About EMILY’s List: EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, works to elect Democratic pro-choice women up and down the ballot and across the country with a goal of fighting for our rights and our communities. Our work is centered around a fundamental vision: Run. Win. Change the World. EMILYs List has raised $850 million in service to that vision and has helped Democratic women win competitive elections by recruiting and training candidates, supporting and helping build strong campaigns, researching the issues that impact women and families, running one of the largest independent expenditure operations for Democrats, and turning out women voters to the polls. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect the country’s first woman as vice president, 175 women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 20 governors, and over 1,500 women to state and local office. More than 40% of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Visit www.emilyslist.org for more information.