Senate Democrats Stand Up For Roe, Push for Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act
“The choice today for the Senate Republicans is a simple one: Join the majority of New Yorkers who support Roe v Wade and the right of a woman to make the most fundamental decision of whether and when to become a mother, or ignore women’s health and refuse to support their basic right to an abortion.
“Just a few weeks ago, the Bush Supreme Court undermined the ability of a woman and her doctor to make private medical decisions. Instead, the Court gave a green light to anti-choice politicians to ignore women’s health and insert themselves into telling doctors how to care for their women patients.
“The threat to Roe has never been greater. And New York can, and must, act to protect women’s health and the right of women, not politicians, to make these decisions.
“Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith and his colleagues get this. They know that New York’s law must be brought up-to-date. They know that New York must have the strongest protections and must stand in the forefront of advancing women’s health.
“But, where are the Senate Republicans? Do the Senate Republicans believe that the decision to have a child rests with a woman, her family and her doctor or with politicians who want to make those decisions for her? Very simply, we need to know whether the Senate Republicans support Roe v Wade. Because if they do, then they should join the vast majority of New Yorkers, Senator Smith and his colleagues, and Governor Spitzer, and pass the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act.
“Right now, we don’t know where the Senate Republicans stand. It is hard to believe that of the 33 Senate Republicans representing New York State, none would support women’s health and privacy as guaranteed under the Reproductive Health and Privacy Protection Act.
“Today, we don’t know. But, I can assure you that all of us at NARAL Pro-Choice New York are determined and quite ready to make sure that New Yorkers know who stands with all of us and who casts his vote with President Bush and his anti-choice agenda.”
