Statement from Nancy Northup on President Biden’s State of the Union Address

February 7, 2023 — Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, issued this statement in response to President Biden’s State of the Union address tonight:

We thank the First Lady for inviting Amanda Zurawski of Texas as her guest at tonight’s State of Union address, whose tragic experience with the Texas abortion ban highlights the needless suffering taking place in our country because of criminal abortion bans. Amanda’s water broke when she was 18 weeks pregnant, and she needed an abortion. She became septic and nearly died because her doctors were concerned that the treatment she needed for her lost pregnancy would violate the Texas abortion ban.

Amanda’s story and so many others highlight the devastating crisis of abortion access and the need to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act. We are grateful for the President’s commitment to federal legislation to guarantee abortion rights in every state.

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