ON THE 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF ROE V. WADE, CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN CONDEMNS FAR-RIGHT'S RELENTLESS ATTACKS ON REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM, CALLS ON CONGRESS TO IMMEDIATELY PASS LEGISLATION GUARANTEEING A WOMAN'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

On the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Congressman Pat Ryan Condemns Far-Right’s Relentless Attacks on Reproductive Freedom, Calls on Congress to Immediately Pass Legislation Guaranteeing a Woman’s Right to Choose 

In the last year, House Republicans took away reproductive freedom from military families, refused to pass Ryan’s bill to protect medication abortion, and just last week, continued their coordinated attack on women by passing two anti-choice bills 

WASHINGTON, DC  –  Today, on the 51st anniversary of  Roe v. Wade, Congressman Pat Ryan condemned Republicans' unrelenting attacks on women’s reproductive freedom, and called on Congress to immediately pass legislation guaranteeing a woman’s right to choose, including the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore the freedoms protected by Roe.  

“The American people have made it clear they want a government that protects and expands freedom. Yet the far-right’s attacks on freedom, particularly reproductive freedom, continue to escalate. More than half of House Republicans now explicitly sponsor a national abortion ban, and just last week, they passed two more damaging anti-choice bills,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “As we commemorate the anniversary of Roe, the time for substantive action is now. You’re either for freedom, or against it.”

Congressman Pat Ryan has built an extensive record of fighting to protect women’s reproductive rights in only his first year in Congress. He introduced the “Protecting Reproductive Freedom Act” to safeguard women’s right to access abortion medication and the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to certify the safety of medications. Ryan introduced the bill when a Texas Court ruled to restrict access to the safe and effective abortion drug mifepristone. The Supreme Court granted a full stay in the case, meaning that mifepristone, which was approved as safe by the FDA 23 years ago and widely used since, is still accessible until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling in the case. The Court’s decision is expected to be released this summer.

In January 2023, House Republicans unanimously voted for legislation that would punish doctors for providing abortion care. In June 2023, extremist Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee voted to make it harder to get abortion medication and banned Veterans Affairs facilities from providing life-saving reproductive care to veterans and their family members. In July, House Republicans all voted to strip the right to choose from active duty service members. Last week, extremist Republicans passed two additional anti-abortion measures. More than half of House Republicans sponsor the Life at Conception Act, a total national abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or to save a woman’s life.  

Congressman Ryan is a member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and is a proud co-cosponsor of the following bills:

• The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act
• The Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act
• The Access to Reproductive Care for Servicemembers Act
• The Right to Contraception Act
• The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023
• The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2023
• The Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act
• The Global Health, Empowerment and Rights (HER) Act to eliminate the global gag rule on abortion healthcare

In 2023, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville held up over 400 confirmations and promotions for military leaders in protest of the Department of Defense’s policy to support reproductive healthcare for women service members. Congressman Ryan spearheaded an initiative to end Senator Tuberville’s relentless undermining of military readiness and national security. Senator Tuberville backed down and lifted certain holds in December.

Congressman Ryan is a champion for programs that support mothers and children. He co-sponsors legislation for an expanded child tax credit and has recently signed letters calling for additional funding for childcare centers and to fully fund the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. In September of 2023, House Republicans allowed for critical federal funding for childcare programs to expire, which childcare providers frequently referred to as the “childcare cliff.” The House Republicans’ past budget proposals have included significant cuts to programs that children and families rely on, including WIC. He recently signed on as a cosponsor of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to decrease maternal and infant mortality and reduce disparities in healthcare outcomes, as well as legislation that increases women’s access to healthcare for reproductive cancers.

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