'It's About Freedom': Emilia Sykes Condemns Dobbs Decision And Urges Widespread Abortion Access

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In House floor remarks on Wednesday, Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-OH) spoke about the anniversary of the Dobbs decision.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Three years ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,

00:10ripping away a constitutional right that generations of women had relied upon for nearly half a

00:16century. In that moment, the court did not just revoke legal precedent. They set in motion a

00:21wave of chaos, cruelty, and control. What followed was a full-scale assault on reproductive health

00:27care, abortion, contraception, IVF, and even access to emergency care. In Ohio, we felt the

00:35effects immediately. Just hours after the Dobbs decision was handed down, an extreme and deeply

00:40unpopular six-week abortion ban went into effect, essentially outlawing abortion for many people

00:46before they even knew they were pregnant. The law put the lives of millions of women in danger

00:51overnight. It forced health care providers to choose between following their sworn oath to

00:56care for patients or facing criminal charges. It caused trauma and suffering that cannot be

01:02undone. In fact, Mr. Speaker, a 10-year-old rape victim was denied the care she needed and was

01:08forced to flee the state to get the care that saved her life and her future. And yet, despite all of

01:15this, the people of Ohio did what we have always done in the face of injustice. We fought back. In

01:22November 2023, Ohioans from across the political spectrum came together to vote it to enshrine

01:28reproductive freedom directly into our state's constitution. The ability to bear a child, to use

01:35contraception, and to access abortion care. It was a powerful, hopeful moment. But, Mr. Speaker,

01:41our work is far from over. Because within days of that historic vote, Republican lawmakers in Ohio

01:47announced they would do everything in our power to prevent our laws from being removed. That's right.

01:54Just days after the people spoke loudly and clearly, some legislators pledged to ignore the will of

02:01the voters. And now they're following through. Just last week, members of the Ohio State House

02:06introduced one of the most extreme anti-choice bills in the country. This dangerous bill would ban

02:13nearly all abortions in Ohio, criminalize doctors, and potentially treat patients seeking care as

02:19criminals. Let me be crystal clear. Under this proposal, abortion could be prosecuted as homicide.

02:26There would be no meaningful exceptions, not for rape and not for incest. One of the bill's lead

02:31supporters, an anti-woman activist, was asked whether he worried this would overturn the will of the

02:37voters, the constitutional amendment the people of Ohio passed a couple years ago. He said he wasn't

02:42concerned. He said, and I quote, the will of the voters was evil. The will of the voters was evil.

02:52Mr. Speaker, I don't think I've heard anything less American. The will of the voters is the bedrock of

02:58our democracy. And just as these extremists want to take away the decision-making capabilities of women,

03:04they have not stopped there. They want to take away the decision-making capability of all Ohioans.

03:09That's the ideology we're up against. One where the voice of the people isn't just disregarded,

03:14it's condemned. One where bodily autonomy is labeled evil. One where political extremists will

03:20stop at nothing, not even the state constitution, to impose their beliefs on the rest of us.

03:25It is chilling and it is dangerous. And this uncertainty is not just an Ohio problem.

03:30The United States Supreme Court recent decision in Moral v. United States dismissed an opportunity

03:35to affirm that emergency abortion care is protected under federal law. Instead, they punted, refusing

03:40to give clarity and refusing to give peace of mind to women and doctors across the country. That's why

03:46I introduced a resolution to reaffirm access to emergency care and abortion care to all Americans.

03:52That's why House Democrats have introduced bills to guarantee abortion rights across the country and

03:57protect access to birth control, IVF, and other fertility care. Because at the heart of this fight

04:02is something bigger than politics. It's about freedom. The freedom to control our own bodies.

04:09The freedom to decide when, if, and how we grow our families. The freedom to choose our own futures

04:15on our own terms. We are the best people to make those decisions for ourselves. Mr. Speaker,

04:20there are a lot of brilliant minds here in this legislative chamber and in state houses and in courts

04:25all across the country. But women do not need them to be in our most intimate decision making

04:31maroons in moments. As a representative of Ohio's 13th congressional district, I will keep standing up

04:38for our freedom. I will keep working to ensure our laws reflect our values. And we must trust women.

04:44We must protect our rights. And we must never forget that democracy only works. It only works if we honor

04:52the will of the people. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield back.

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