Klobuchar: “With so many extreme Republicans racing to state capitols to be the first to take away women's rights, it's clear we must explicitly protect the right to travel to other states to access reproductive care”

WATCH KLOBUCHAR FULL REMARKS HERE

WASHINGTON - On the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) urged the passage of the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act, legislation she co-sponsored to protect the right to cross state lines for reproductive health care. 

“With so many extreme Republicans racing to state capitols to be the first to take away women's rights, it's clear we must explicitly protect the right to travel to other states to access reproductive care,” said Klobuchar. “The freedom to travel cannot be an empty promise…Women in states with abortion bans already face enough obstacles to care…... We can't wait to see what anti-choice state legislators criminalize next. We have to act now.”

“Think about the heartbreaking, enraging story about the 10 year old girl in Ohio who had to go to Indiana to get an abortion after she was impregnated by her rapist…she couldn't even get the care she needed at age 10 to get an abortion. She had to go across state lines to the state of Indiana just to get her care,” Klobuchar continued. “All of this comes down to one question: who should get to make the personal decisions for a woman or for a 10 year old girl? Should it be her family? Should it be a woman herself? Or should it be politicians? Each and every one of my colleagues has the opportunity to show where they stand.”

Legislation introduced in Missouri makes clear that interstate travel for reproductive health care is at risk. The Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act underscores the constitutional protections for interstate travel and provides redress for women and providers whose rights are violated. The legislation would also protect health care providers in states like Minnesota from out-of-state lawsuits and criminal charges for serving people traveling from other states. 

In addition to Klobuchar, the legislation – which is led by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) – was also introduced by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Patty Murray (D-WA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Ed Markey (D-MA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Klobuchar has been a leader in protecting the privacy of personal health data. Earlier this week, Klobuchar and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called on Facebook and Instagram to address the platforms’ reported censorship of posts related to abortion services.

In May, Klobuchar and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect the data privacy of women seeking abortion services and other reproductive health care. 

Video is available for TV download HERE and for online viewing HERE.

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