Democratic Party of Georgia Hosts Virtual Press Conference in Response to SCOTUS Decision on Texas’s Dangerous Six-Week Abortion Ban

September 15, 2021

Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia held a virtual press conference to discuss what’s at stake for Georgians after the Supreme Court failed to block Texas’s dangerous six-week abortion ban — which makes no exceptions for cases of rape or incest and allows citizens to file lawsuits against anyone who “aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion.”

Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, was joined by Planned Parenthood Southeast CEO Staci Fox, State Representative Beth Moore, and former women’s health clinic director Patricia Lassiter to discuss the negative impacts that such legislation would have on Georgians, the consequences of the Supreme Court decision for Georgia, and the need to elect pro-choice leaders to office — especially with Brian Kemp and every Georgia GOP Senate candidate in support of stripping away Georgians’ right to make their own health care decisions.

Watch and download a video of the press conference here.

“A slate of anti-choice Republicans are challenging Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock, a pro-choice pastor, for his seat next year. In fact, every single Georgia Republican running for the United States Senate has praised this Texas abortion ban, which makes no exceptions for rape or incest and puts bounties on the heads of doctors. And we already know Brian Kemp supports a six-week abortion ban, because he signed one right here in Georgia,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “It’s absolutely vital that we continue fighting against these extreme laws by electing pro-reproductive freedom candidates to office. The stakes of the 2022 election for Georgians couldn’t be more clear. I and Georgia Democrats will continue to work tirelessly to elect leaders who will protect the rights of every Georgian to make their own private health care decisions and stop the Republican encroachments on Roe v. Wade.” 

“In 2021 alone, we saw nearly 600 abortion restrictions introduced around the country — and abortion is just one piece of this large picture of reproductive rights and the fight for bodily autonomy and freedom,” said Staci Fox, CEO of Planned Parenthood Southeast. “All of this is that this is happening against the will of the people. In 2019, the AJC ran a poll indicating 70% of Georgians support access to safe and legal abortion and support Roe v. Wade in our state. Making abortion illegal and inaccessible only makes it unsafe, and the stories we’re already hearing from our colleagues around the country that are seeing patients come from Texas are heartbreaking and horrifying. The bottom line is we will not allow these coordinated attempts to chip away at our health care — and abortion is healthcare. Not in Texas, not in Georgia, not anywhere.”

“The law in Texas puts a ban on women’s health care — period. It is a ban on women’s access to life-saving health care, and women are tired of being legislated and prevented from getting the care that they need. The ban on women’s health care in Texas also applies to victims of rape and incest, making the law in Texas nothing less than a rapist’s bill of rights,” said State Representative Beth Moore (HD-94). “What we have to remember is that what happens in Texas will not stay in Texas, and we need to remain vigilant about what is going to happen in the next legislative session here in Georgia and what Republicans may want to pass then.”

“I had the immense privilege of running a women’s health center, and we simply provided health care. Abortion is part of health care. I can give a million stories for why people choose abortion, but it’s not for me, or you, or anyone – certainly not the government – to justify why any pregnant person chooses abortion. We have people with pregnancies that are not viable. We have people who were victims of rape or incest. And they should not have to go through the gauntlet to get great health care,” said Patricia Lassiter, advocate and former director of a women’s health clinic. “What happened in Texas, Georgia Republicans will try to emulate here. So we need to work together to fight it, because it is so important for all of us to be able to make our own health care decisions.”

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