DEMS vs. GOP: PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM

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Written By Barbara Isaacman

QUICK READ: “The disregard for women’s ability to make [reproductive] decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable. . . .The vice president and I are fighting for your rights. . .and we won’t stop until we restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every state.”

—President Biden responding to the Alabama ruling granting personhood to frozen embryos


CONTENTS:

BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND:

Trump and McConnell are directly responsible for Alabama’s grant of personhood rights to frozen embryos—because McConnell manipulated Senate procedures to allow Trump to name  three justices committed to overturning Roe.

Overturning Roe allowed 21 states to outlaw abortions and is opening the door for the religious right to enshrine fetal personhood, ban contraception, make IVF treatment impossible, and place other previously unimagined constraints on reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy and personal freedoms.

Nineteen states already grant fetuses personhood, with rights superior to their carriers, criminalizing miscarriages and subjecting pregnant women to child abuse, manslaughter, or even murder charges for any behavior that might be considered harmful to the fetus, including many forms of birth control. 

Even if Congress lacked the votes to nationally ban abortions, Trump’s DOJ could use the 1873 Comstock Act to outlaw medication abortion, and other departments could ban fetal stem cell research, rescind abortion pill approval, stop Planned Parenthood funding, and rescind Biden’s requirement that federally-funded hospitals perform lifesaving abortions.

Americans must be reminded daily how Trump will further destroy our access to reproductive health care (including contraception and fertility treatments), and Republicans’ hypocrisy must be exposed by forcing them to oppose the reproductive legislation Americans want and need.

ACTION One: Call the Senate.

Script for Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump, GOP Legislatures, and SCOTUS’ reactionary supermajority are intent on destroying. Thank you for co-sponsoring S.701 (the Women’s Health Protection Act) which guarantees access to abortion, S.1231 (SAD Act) which prohibits deceptive reproductive health advertising, S.1999 (Right to Contraception Act), and S.3612 (Access to Family Building Act) which protects IVF access. Please work to bring these up for votes as soon as possible to demonstrate to the American people which party has their backs. I also call on you between now and November to use your bully pulpit to demonstrate what we will all lose should Trump and his allies prevail.

SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump, GOP Legislatures, and SCOTUS’ reactionary supermajority are intent on destroying. Thank you for co-sponsoring S.701 (the Women’s Health Protection Act) which guarantees access to abortion, S.1231 (SAD Act) which prohibits deceptive reproductive health advertising, S.1999 (Right to Contraception Act), and S.3612 (Access to Family Building Act) which protects IVF access. Please work to bring these up for votes as soon as possible to demonstrate to the American people which party has their backs. I also call on you between now and November to use your bully pulpit to demonstrate what we will all lose should Trump and his allies prevail.

Script for Republican Senators

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump and most of your GOP colleagues are intent on destroying. It is time for you to start listening to your constituents, who reject these attacks on abortion access, contraceptives, and IFV treatment, and to vote for the legislation the Democrats will be bringing to the floor.

ACTION TWO: Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump, GOP Legislatures, and SCOTUS’ reactionary supermajority are intent on destroying. Thank you for co-sponsoring H.R.12 (the Women’s Health Protection Act) which guarantees access to abortion, H.R.4121 (Right to Contraception Act), and HR.7056 (Access to Family Building Act) which protects IVF access. Please work to bring these up for votes as soon as possible to demonstrate to the American people which party has their backs. I also call on you, between now and November, to use your bully pulpit to demonstrate what we will all lose should Trump and his allies prevail.

Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump and most of your GOP colleagues are intent on destroying. I was shocked that you voted for H.R.26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, whose premise completely ignores science, and that you co-sponsored H.R.431, the Life at Conception Act. It is time for you to start listening to your constituents, who reject these attacks on abortion access, contraceptives, and IFV treatment, and to vote for the legislation the Democrats will be bringing to the floor.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump, GOP Legislatures, and SCOTUS’ reactionary supermajority are intent on destroying. Thank you for co-sponsoring H.R.12 (the Women’s Health Protection Act) which guarantees access to abortion, H.R.4121 (Right to Contraception Act), and HR.7056 (Access to Family Building Act) which protects IVF access. Please work to bring these up for votes as soon as possible to demonstrate to the American people which party has their backs. I also call on you, between now and November, to use your bully pulpit to demonstrate what we will all lose should Trump and his allies prevail.

Script for Val Hoyle (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump, GOP Legislatures, and SCOTUS’ reactionary supermajority are intent on destroying. Thank you for co-sponsoring H.R.12 (the Women’s Health Protection Act) which guarantees access to abortion, H.R.4121 (Right to Contraception Act), and HR.7056 (Access to Family Building Act) which protects IVF access. Please work to bring these up for votes as soon as possible to demonstrate to the American people which party has their backs. I also call on you, between now and November, to use your bully pulpit to demonstrate what we will all lose should Trump and his allies prevail.

Script for Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump and most of your GOP colleagues are intent on destroying. I was shocked that you voted for H.R.26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, whose premise completely ignores science, and your toothless resolution praising IVF without protecting access to it will fool no one. Instead, it is time for you to start listening to your constituents, who reject these attacks on abortion access, contraceptives, and IFV treatment, and to vote for the legislation the Democrats will be bringing to the floor.

Script for Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

Salem office: 503-385-0906 | DC office: 202-225-5643

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

All Americans deserve reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, and the ability to determine our own futures, which Donald Trump, GOP Legislatures, and SCOTUS’ reactionary supermajority are intent on destroying. Thank you for co-sponsoring H.R.12 (the Women’s Health Protection Act) which guarantees access to abortion, H.R.4121 (Right to Contraception Act), and HR.7056 (Access to Family Building Act) which protects IVF access. Please work to bring these up for votes as soon as possible to demonstrate to the American people which party has their backs. I also call on you, between now and November, to use your bully pulpit to demonstrate what we will all lose should Trump and his allies prevail.

FURTHER READING

Barbara Isaacman
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