At Senate Budget Hearing on Economic Harm of Dobbs Fallout, Senator Murray Highlights Republican Hypocrisy: Republicans Will Force Pregnancy, Won’t Help Parents or Kids

Statement

“Since Republicans overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive rights have really been under attack like never before in our country.

And I’m really glad that we are here today to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention—and that is the strong connection between reproductive rights and economic security.

Because when Republican politicians take away a woman’s control over her own body, they are also taking away women’s ability to plan their families, their finances, and their futures on their own terms.

The connection is more painfully clear than ever in the post-Dobbs America, where your ability to get an abortion depends on where you live and whether you can afford to travel out of state.

Can you take the day off? Can you afford transportation? Do you have a place to stay? Do you need child care?

Mrs. Phillips just described all of that that happened to her. And there is a deeply cruel irony faced by women who are unable to get an abortion because of cost—women who are forced to stay pregnant by Republican politicians.

If someone cannot afford to get the health care she needs, what do they think is going to happen when she is forced to have that child? How will she make ends meet?

Republicans’ anti-abortion extremism doesn’t just mean forcing women to stay pregnant, ultimately it often means women forced out of the workforce, and into financial hardship—with no support to speak of.

Here we are—where Republicans want women to stay pregnant, but they don’t want to address the child care crisis. They want to force women to stay pregnant—but today, House Republicans want to not fully fund WIC. Republicans want to force women to give birth, but they don’t want moms to have paid leave so they can recover from childbirth and spend time with their newborn.

So it’s pretty clear that Republicans want to force women to stay pregnant, but won’t lift a finger to help new parents.

I want you to know that Democrats are working hard to help make sure women are able to decide when and how they start a family—and we actually support those programs that families need.

That is a pretty big difference to me.”

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