Thread by @byKateSmith

Good morning!

I'm listening in on the "Protecting Women's Access to Reproductive Health Care" hearing, a federal legislative hearing that will hear testimony on the "Women's Health Protection Act of 2019" a federal bill that would protect access to abortion.

Right now we're in opening statements, hearing from @michaelcburgess from Texas, a former OBGYN, who identifies himself as "pro-life"

He calls the bill's language "heavy handed" and notes that medical advances have put into question Roe v Wade's viability benchmarks.

@michaelcburgess He closes by calling the bill "most uncomfortable and threatening legislation" he's seen in his career as a lawmaker.

@michaelcburgess Now we're on to @FrankPallone, who points out that anti-abortion restrictions fall the hardest on the most vulnerable patients, particularly those who are low-income.

@michaelcburgess @FrankPallone "Abortion is healthcare and healthcare is a human right"

- @janschakowsky

@michaelcburgess @FrankPallone Now we're on to @repgregwalden who starts by calling the legislation a "deceptive titled partisan bill."

He says that loosening abortion restrictions is "out of sync" with the opinions of the majority of Americans.

@michaelcburgess @FrankPallone @repgregwalden We're now hearing from @cathymcmorris who opposes the legislation:

"Our country needs hope. America needs hope and healing, and abortion doesn't bring hope or healing."

@michaelcburgess @FrankPallone @repgregwalden @cathymcmorris First witness is from Yashica Robinson, MD, who's the medical director and the Alabama Women’s Center for Reproductive Alternatives, one of the state's few abortion providers.

Alabama also passed a near-total ban on abortion last year, though not currently in effect.

Here's Robinson's full testimony:

docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…

Because Alabama has so few abortion providers, Robinson says that patients seeking the procedure in the state sometimes drive up to eight hours to her clinic.

We're now hearing from Georgette Forney (@GeorgetteForney) President of Anglicans for Life, Co-founder of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign.

She begins her testimony by sharing she had an abortion as a teenager and has rejected the decision since.

@GeorgetteForney Now we're hearing from Teresa Stanton Collett, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she serves as director of the school's "Prolife Center."

@GeorgetteForney Now we're hearing from Nancy Northup, the president and chief executive officer of the Center for Reproductive Rights (@ReproRights). Her firm is the one arguing against the Louisiana admitting privilege law that will be in front of the Supreme Court next month.

@GeorgetteForney @ReproRights Here's Northup's full testimony:

docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…

@GeorgetteForney @ReproRights Now we're hearing from Holly Alvarado, an abortion-rights advocate who says she faced multiple barriers when accessing abortion. She's in D.C. to share that story.

Here's her full testimony:
docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF…

@GeorgetteForney @ReproRights Alvarado was preparing for deployment to Afghanistan when she found out she was pregnant.

Her only option was to make a six-hour round trip to a different state to get the procedure.

@GeorgetteForney @ReproRights Now we're going into member questions. But here's something interesting - chairwoman @RepAnnaEshoo
starts by clarifying that there *are* safety standards in the bill, something that witnesses said there were not.

"That's simply not true," Eshoo says.

@GeorgetteForney @ReproRights @RepAnnaEshoo Eshoo starts by asking Northup how access to abortion differs from state to state.

"The reality is because of the restrictions is that there are vast differences," Northup says.

@GeorgetteForney @ReproRights @RepAnnaEshoo Rep. Burgess asks how data collection and reporting would enhance abortion safety.

@GeorgetteForney suggests that because the data we currently have comes from organization that support abortion access that data may be flawed.

Also, here is Forney's full testimony:

energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrat…

And here is Professor Teresa Stanton Collett's full testimony:

energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrat…

.@RepEliotEngel says he respects people who identify as "pro-life" but says their personal moral shouldn't impact how others access abortion.

"I don't feel that they ought to be restricting other people who feel differently."

#ActforWomen #whpa

@RepEliotEngel .@GKButterfield says he's "struck" that SCOTUS is taking up a case that he believes is "settled law."

Next month the Supreme Court will hear June Medical Services v. Gee, a case that many say is nearly identical to a Texas law that was struck down by SCOTUS

#ActforWomen #whpa

@RepEliotEngel @GKButterfield .@RepMGriffith notes he believes the 24-hour waiting period for people seeking abortion is "reasonable."

CBS News documented what that waiting period looks like in practice. I'd encourage you to watch it.

#ActforWomen #whpa

cbsnews.com/news/abortion-…

@RepEliotEngel @GKButterfield @RepMGriffith "I can tell you I've never met a woman who said the state-mandated counseling she received from me changed her mind," Robinson, one of Alabama's few abortion providers, says.

#ActforWomen #whpa

@RepEliotEngel @GKButterfield @RepMGriffith .@USRepKCastor now asking questions about what she calls "medically unnecessary" abortion restrictions."

"Women seeking abortion are entitled to privacy, dignity, respect and support."

#ActforWomen #whpa

@RepEliotEngel @GKButterfield @RepMGriffith @USRepKCastor "I didn't understand it then, and I don't understand it now."

@USRepLong on Roe v. Wade

@RepEliotEngel @GKButterfield @RepMGriffith @USRepKCastor @USRepLong .@SusanWBrooks says that her state, Indiana, has "common sense" abortion regulations, but hasn't passed bans.

That's not true.

Last year, Indiana outright banned abortion after 22 weeks and prohibited the most common type of second-trimester abortion procedure.