Richmond, Virginia—While anti-family extremists descend upon Richmond for their anti-abortion rally, 79% of people in Virginia support full access to abortion and they do not want politicians interfering in their personal healthcare decisions. Before the legislative session, Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert said that he and his caucus did not run on limiting access to abortion and it would not be a priority during session. But the truth is, Republican members of the House of Delegates have introduced several bills that would limit access to abortion and reinstate an obstacle course of barriers separating patients from essential health care.
“A vocal minority may be in Richmond today advocating for policies that would hurt families, but we know that the vast majority of Virginians not only support abortion access, but want a person who has decided to have an abortion to be able to access the health care they need without shame or stigma,” Ashleigh Crocker, Deputy Director at Progress Virginia, said. “Everyone should have the opportunity to thrive in their communities, and choosing whether and when to become a parent without interference from politicians is a crucial part of making that a reality. We will continue to fight against these anti-abortion bills, and we hope Democratic members of the Senate will continue to protect our progress on this important issue.”
“The majority of Virginians have made themselves clear time and time again – they support access to abortion and want politicians out of their decision making. We have made significant forward progress over the past two years to protect and expand access to safe, legal abortion care. Virginians are pro-choice and they will not go backward,” says Tarina Keene, Executive Director of Pro-Choice Virginia. “Despite the dangerous agenda being pushed by anti-abortion extremists that would strip a pregnant person of their rights and shut off access to abortion care, we stand ready to hold our ground to protect our progress. We will shine a light on their true intentions with these outlandish bills – to criminalize medical providers and pregnant people and ban abortion in the Commonwealth. Although we have come a long way, we still have more work to do to increase access to abortion and make it truly equitable. But until that is possible, we remain vigilant and will fight every day to make sure Virginians are able to get timely, affordable, and accessible abortion care.”
“Virginia Republicans opposed to reproductive rights are seeking to enact abortion bans and restrictions in hopes that the U.S. Supreme Court will soon overturn Roe v. Wade, the court case that established the right to an abortion,” said Jamie Lockhart, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. “ Abortion access is being dismantled across the country, and Virginians will not stand for abortion bans. We are grateful for the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw and Senate President Pro Temp Louise Lucas who are ensuring these extreme abortion bans and restrictions do not advance in the Senate.”
Background:
Nearly 1 in 4 people who can get pregnant in the United States will have an abortion by the age of 45.
6 out of 10 women who have an abortion are already mothers.
79% of Virginians support legal access to abortion.