WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) today highlighted Maryland’s efforts to protect abortion access while managing the strain an influx of patients from other states puts on its clinics. Abortion remains legal in Maryland and, as the Congressman explained to his colleagues, a new state law that is helping address the crisis caused by the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision can serve as a model nationwide.
In a Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing entitled “The Impact of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs Decision on Abortion Rights and Access Across the United States,” Congressman Sarbanes urged other states to redouble their efforts to protect and expand abortion access. Pointing to a new Maryland law that allows more providers with qualifying training to facilitate abortion care, the Congressman laid out the work ahead for many states to not only protect abortion access but also scale up other reproductive health care services to serve more Americans.
As the House prepares to vote this week on legislation that would create a statutory right to abortion and ensure Americans can travel for reproductive health care, state laws like those highlighted in today’s hearing are even more important.
“The reality is that the Democrats on this Committee believe that a woman should make her own healthcare decisions and unfortunately, it seems that the Republicans that we serve with here have a different view – they want to take that agency away,” said Congressman Sarbanes.
He concluded, “We must and we will continue to do all we can to protect abortion access and ensure that all Americans – no matter where they live – can exercise their reproductive freedom.”
See below for a video of the Congressman’s full remarks.
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