Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Speak Out in Support of Women’s Health Protection Act at Florida Press Event

(Media Advisory) Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) will be joined by local lawmakers and women’s health advocates today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to call for Governor Rick Scott’s veto of recently passed measure which severely restricts access to safe and legal abortion.  Rep. Wasserman Schultz will also call for support of the Women’s Health Protection Act—a federal bill which would defend access to safe, legal, essential reproductive health care and the constitutional rights of every woman in the United States, regardless of where she happens to live.

Details

Press Event with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Confirmed Speakers:

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Former State Senator Nan Rich

Dr. Karla Maguire, MD, MPH, FACOG, Miami

Activists from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Florida Latina Advocacy Network

Representatives of the Center for Reproductive Rights

Representatives of Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida

Monday, April 27, 2015 at 10AM EST

Broward Federal Court House

299 E. Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights:

“With politicians in Florida and across the U.S. lining up to enact laws that block women’s access to reproductive health care and deny their constitutional rights, the need for the Women’s Health Protection Act couldn’t be more evident.

“We commend Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz for standing strong as a champion for women’s health and rights in Congress and her home state. Thanks to her leadership and the dedication of many advocates and lawmakers in Florida, today’s event shines a bright light on the devastating impact these underhanded laws have on the lives of women and their families, and points the way toward a better future.”

Said Jessica González-Rojas, Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

“The passage in Florida of another bill that would make abortion care even less accessible is a sobering reminder that some politicians will stop at nothing to place abortion out of reach—with the greatest harm falling on women of color, young people, and low income families. It’s shameful. But we’re not giving up. We’re fighting back and supporting policies like the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), federal legislation that would dismantle many of the restrictions on abortion that state politicians have passed in recent years. We’re not going to stop until all Latinas–in Florida and across the country–have health, dignity, and justice.”

Background

On Friday, April 24, 2015, the Florida Senate passed a measure which forces a woman to wait 24 hours and make two separate trips before she is able to obtain a safe and legal abortion.  The Senate vote came just two days after the Florida House passed the same measure. 

Harmful restrictions like these further underscore the need for the federal Women’s Health Protection Act (S. 217/HR. 448)—a bill that would prohibit states like Florida from imposing restrictions on reproductive health care providers that apply to no similar medical care, interfere with women’s personal decision making, and block access to safe and legal abortion services.​