Reproductive Freedom Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Diana DeGette, Dr. Kristin Lyerly, and Health Policy Experts Set the Record Straight on Latest Republican Attacks on Abortion
WASHINGTON, DC –– Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OB/GYN from Wisconsin, and Jessica Schubel, Founder of Day One Strategies and former Special Assistant to President Biden for Health Care joined Free & Just to discuss how Republicans are hijacking important health care negotiations to impose dangerous new abortion restrictions nationwide.
Instead of addressing soaring health care costs that threaten millions of American families, Republican lawmakers are catering to anti-abortion extremists and spreading misinformation about abortion coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The reality is that millions of working families are facing higher premiums and could lose health care coverage entirely because Republicans want to keep their extremist allies happy.
“My Republican colleagues are attempting to hijack health care negotiations in order to advance their anti-abortion agenda. The American people overwhelmingly support reproductive freedom, and they deserve to spend their own hard-earned money on whatever health coverage they and their families need,” said Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. “Threatening to insert a backdoor abortion ban into critical health care tax credits is just another page from the same, tired playbook that our constituents do not want. I am focused on fighting alongside partners like Free & Just to ensure that every American has access to affordable health coverage, including abortion coverage.”
“I spent four years at the White House doing everything I could to make sure people could sign up for and enroll in affordable health care.I am so proud of the work that my colleagues and I did – during our time together in the Biden Administration, more Americans had health insurance than at any point in our nation’s history. But, that’s all at risk,” said Jessica Schubel, who served as a Special Assistant to President Biden for health care. What the Republicans are trying to do here is use abortion to justify taking health coverage away from millions of people. Republicans shouldn’t be holding this hostage over an issue they’re making up. No federal money goes to abortion coverage.”
“When politicians pass abortion restrictions, they sell it to us like they're passing a single-issue law. But medicine doesn't work that way. I went to medical school for four years. I completed four years of residency. I maintain board certification with continuing education and skills training — and yet politicians who often couldn't tell you the difference between a placenta and a pancreas, they think they're qualified to override my medical judgment in the exam room. They’re not,” said Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an OB/GYN and advocate from Wisconsin. “Let's be honest about what's happening here. If this were really about protecting life, we'd see investment in maternal health care, not attacks on it. I trust my patients to make their own health care decisions in consultation with their doctors. Politicians need to get out of the exam room and let doctors practice medicine.”
You can watch the event here. If you are interested in speaking with any of the participants in the press event, please contact malachi@freeandjust.us.
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Free & Just is fighting to stop attacks on reproductive freedom and rights. We’re working with people across the country to share real stories to show the devastating consequences of attacks on our reproductive freedom. We all deserve the right to control our bodies and lives. That’s why we’re sharing our stories, raising our voices, and fighting for our future.