See below for video of Delegates Candi King and Mark Sickles, speaking this afternoon on the House of Delegates floor, about Gov. Youngkin’s amendment to “restrict crucial funds for reproductive health care that will disproportionately impact low-income Virginians, people of color, and women across the Commonwealth.” As Del. King explained:
- “The majority party in this body is out of step and out of line with more than 80% of Virginians who believe that women should decide what happens to their bodies.”
- “And I know that some of y’all only understand choice when it comes to a gun or defunding our public schools.”
- “…I rise today as part of the first generation of women in my family to have a choice on the timing of my life, unlike my grandmother, who was forced at 13 years old, to bear the child of her abuser. She didn’t have a choice…but I got to decide when I took on the awesome responsibility of motherhood.”
- “But today, with this amendment, as the Supreme Court moves forward, we are making a dangerous, dangerous decision.”
- “What the governor doesn’t get is that the daughters of rich business tycoons are not the only ones who should have access to safe reproductive health. So to target women who need help from us and are making tremendously difficult decisions is wrong and unconscionable.”
- “Abortion is essential healthcare…And legislation like this will exacerbate [outstanding?] gaps in infant and maternal health outcomes.”
- “So clearly for the governor and many of you, this is about just one thing – restricting our fundamental bodily autonomy for political gain.”
- “So let me put you on notice – this amendment targeting low-income Virginians will not be forgotten…will be a part of your legacy…we will fight this. We will defend bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom for all, the daughters and wives of rich tycoons and the young women in communities like mine who need support…We will fight this every single day. And we will not back down, bow down or shut up while you endanger the lives of women.”
- Del. Sickles noted that “this is not an abortion that anyone wants to have…These abortions occur in women who want to have a child but their fetus is ‘gross and totally incapacitated’ – that’s what the statute says…Our insurance covers it. Since 1982, this has been in our code, and it has survived because this is a very special procedure that doesn’t occur often, it’s very rare…[among] poor women who do not have insurance…who could die from this, their fetus WILL die…This is not a lifestyle choice, this is a narrow provision that takes away a fundamental women’s right to have healthcare because she’s poor.”
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