Casten Responds to Draft SCOTUS Opinion Overturning Roe v. Wade; Headlines 4:45pm CT Choice Conference At Planned Parenthood Illinois - Chicago
Downers Grove, IL (May 3, 2022) – Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement on the recent reporting that the Supreme Court Plans to strike down the abortion rights codified in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey in the draft majority decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.
Casten, a fierce defender of women's reproductive freedom and access care, in 2018 became the first Democrat to flip a district held by staunch anti-choice republicans for over 50 years, including the infamous Henry Hyde.
Congressman Casten said, "I am absolutely revolted by the draft decision by the Supreme Court to tear away women's constitutionally protected reproductive freedom. In 2021, radical, anti-choice GOP lawmakers in 16 states enacted over 83 new abortion restrictions, with an additional 561 bills introduced across 47 states undermining equitable access to health care every day. As a fierce defender of reproductive freedom in the Congressional district formerly held by Henry Hyde, I will work harder than ever to defend access to affordable health care for all people, no matter where they live, where they work, or where they get their health insurance. This draft decision makes clear. Time is running out. We must immediately pass the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) to create statutory right for providers to provide abortion care, and patients to receive that care -- free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans."
Last Congress, Casten held a roundtable discussion with a group of Chicagoland women who have been on the frontlines of the fight for reproductive freedom since the ‘70s, when they opened DuPage County's first women's health clinic in the basement of a church in Wheaton, IL. Casten interviewed Dupage County's ‘Founding Mothers' reflecting on what life was like pre-Roe and warning what danger women could face in a post-Roe America.
Rep. Casten is a proud cosponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755) to statutorily codify abortion services, protecting the right to access abortion care throughout the United States; the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage (EACH ACT) (H .R.3755) to repeal the Hyde Amendment to ensure equitable access to abortion care for people and families; the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act (H.R. 1670) to authorize the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment; and the Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act (H.R. 1670) to direct the Department of State to include in its annual reports on human rights in countries receiving U.S. development and security assistance a discussion of the status of reproductive rights in each country.
TODAY at 4:45 pm CT, Casten will Speak at Planned Parenthood Illinois Chicago' Choice Conference:
What: Roe v. Wade Press Conference
Date: Today, May 3rd
Time: 4:45 PM
Where: Planned Parenthood, 17 N. State Street, 5th Fl
The event will also be livestreamed at https://www.facebook.com/ChicagoMayorsOffice and facebook.com/ppiaction
Speakers
Rep. Casten will speak as well as Mayor Lightfoot and other members of the House IL delegation