Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) introduced the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act to provide grant assistance to those who travel to receive reproductive health care.
“Access to safe and legal reproductive health care, including abortion, should not be limited to those with the resources to travel. The decision to overturn Roe already affects low-income families, particularly women of color, across the country,” said Strickland. “It is our responsibility to ensure equitable access to reproductive medical care for all women regardless of where they live. ”
“In my home state of Texas and across the country, we are in a health care crisis—a crisis growing worse each day,” said Congresswoman Fletcher. “One way to help people and organizations respond to this crisis is to authorize grants to eligible entities to pay for travel-related expenses and logistical support for women seeking abortion care in states where it is legal. I am glad to partner with Congresswoman Strickland and Congresswoman Bush in this effort to ensure that Americans can get the care they need no matter what state they call home.”
“Congress has a moral responsibility to do everything we can to support people seeking abortion care,” said Congresswoman Bush. “This legislation provides funding to community-based organizations assisting people in trigger-ban states like Missouri who now have to travel out-of-state to receive an abortion. As we continue to fight for our reproductive freedoms, I’m proud to join Congresswomen Strickland and Fletcher in leading this effort to ensure that there are systems in place to support people today.”
The legislation will establish a grant program through the Department of Health and Human Services to help ease the financial burden of pregnant people traveling long distances to access safe and legal reproductive health care.
Endorsing organizations include the Abortion Fund of Arizona, Abortion Fund of Ohio, Access Reproductive Justice, Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Catholics for Choice, Center for Reproductive Rights, Chicago Abortion Fund, Fund Texas Choice, Holler Health Justice, Jane’s Due Process, Justice Empowerment Network, Kansas Abortion Fund, Midwest Access Coalition, NARAL, National Council of Jewish Women, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Network of Abortion Funds, National Women’s Law Center, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Power to Decide, Silver State Hope Fund, Tampa Bay Abortion Fund, URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, Utah Abortion Fund, and the Women’s Emergency Network.
Read the text of the bill here.
Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and is the only African-American woman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress and is the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.
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