NH Delegation Hosts Virtual Press Conference with NH Family Planning Providers Ahead of SCOTUS Oral Arguments on Pivotal Court Case Threatening Roe v. Wade

Statement

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) hosted a virtual press conference today with representatives from New Hampshire family planning providers ahead of the Supreme Court beginning oral arguments in a pivotal case that threatens the future of Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court will begin oral arguments on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health on December 1 in what's described as the most influential abortion case in nearly 50 years -- a decision which would pave the way for states to criminalize abortions. If the Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eighteen states will immediately ban abortions in their state.

Representatives from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Equality Health Center and Lovering Health Center also participated in the press event. Kayla Montgomery of Planned Parenthood said its New Hampshire clinic has treated patients traveling as far as Texas since the dangerous state abortion ban took effect.

"I've lived the consequences of the pre-Roe era -- I had friends in college who were forced to seek dangerous back alley abortions because women across the country were denied access to critical family planning services. We cannot allow Republican lawmakers to turn back the clock on women's reproductive health and rights, which is precisely what the Mississippi case seeks to do. It is time to sound the alarm," said Senator Shaheen. "Roe v. Wade isn't just a decision that impacts women, their health and their financial security -- it also impacts generations of families. And it's devastating to see that extreme ideology find its way to the New Hampshire State House, first through the budget that the Governor signed into law and more recently with the Executive Council's decision to deny crucial funding to the providers that offer the majority of family planning services in the Granite State. I never thought I'd see these types of gross privacy violations and blatant infringement on women's personal health decisions find their way into the "Live Free or Die' State. No lawmaker has any business telling women when or how they can start a family. There is so much at stake with this case, which is why Granite Staters and Americans across the country need to make it clear that they will not allow Republicans to undo the progress we've made over the last 50 years."

"The case ahead of the Supreme Court is a direct attack on decades of precedent set by Roe v. Wade. This is one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country and it would take us back to almost 50 years ago," said Senator Hassan. "The result would be devastating for women and the Supreme Court should not put government in front of women's most personal, difficult, and complicated health care decisions. I'll continue working with my colleagues to protect the rights enshrined in Roe v. Wade and to help ensure that all women have the individual autonomy that is critical to their ability to thrive and critical to our democracy as a whole."

"For the nearly five decades since Roe v. Wade was decided, Granite Staters have lived in a country where access to safe, legal abortion is a constitutional right -- today, those protections are very much on the line," said Rep. Annie Kuster, founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence. "As an adoption attorney for 25 years, I worked with more than 300 birth mothers making the most personal and difficult decisions of their lives. They consulted their families, loved ones, and doctors, but no one looked to the government to make that choice for them. States across the country including New Hampshire have already passed legislation to restrict access to abortion, and we must do everything we can to protect access to safe reproductive care for all. Earlier this year, I helped pass the Women's Health Protection Act -- legislation to codify the constitutional right to an abortion as established in Roe v. Wade. Regardless of the Supreme Court's decision in the case they will hear on Wednesday, it is essential we get this bill signed into law to permanently protect the reproductive freedoms of women across our country."

"We must do all we can to draw attention to and stand against legislation that places onerous burdens on women and health care providers because this is inconsistent with who we are as Granite Staters. The House has passed the Women's Health Protection Act and I hope there's a path forward to pass this legislation into law and codify Roe v. Wade, which has strong support in New Hampshire and across the country. We can no longer count on the Supreme Court to defend Roe and be the backstop as they have been - in this new era it's up to us to fight back," said Rep. Chris Pappas.