“We are fighting for freedom, for women, and for the people of this country. I want to share Kate's story. Kate was elated to find out that she was pregnant, but then she learned later on in her pregnancy that her baby had a catastrophic brain malformation. Her baby, if it survived birth, would never walk, talk, swallow or be able to support its head…If Kate's baby survived birth, her life would be short and excruciatingly painful. So Kate and her partner made the decision, their own personal decision, to have an abortion. This decision was made from love to protect this future child of theirs from a life of pain,” shared Assistant Speaker Clark. 

“But because of restrictive abortion laws, Kate was forced to travel 2,000 miles to receive the care she needed. And even though her insurance covered abortion, they denied her claim because she had gone out-of-network for the procedure. 

“Kate is one of millions of women who have had to leave their home state, take time off from work, and pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to receive health care. This is unacceptable. The Republican's extreme agenda will only make Kate's story more and more common. That's why House Democrats will keep fighting for your freedom to make these most personal decisions. This is about people over politics.”

Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Clark has joined House Democrats in voting for critical legislation to protect fundamental freedoms, including safeguarding access to birth control, preventing Americans who are forced to travel for reproductive care from being stopped or punished, codifying abortion access, and protecting marriage equality. 

Last week, Clark was arrested outside of the Supreme Court while peacefully demonstrating against anti-abortion laws. 

Footage of her remarks can be found HERE.

Photos of the press conference can be found HERE.

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