Press Release
☷Remarks by Vice President Harris and Doctor Sarah Traxler During the Nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” Tour | St Paul MN
White House ( By Press Release office)
Mar 15,2024
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Hey everyone , thanks for being here . I just want to give a shoutout to Governor Tim Walz for all his great work , and Congresswoman McCollum and Mayor , thanks for joining me today . I ' m here at Planned Parenthood in St . Paul because we ' re facing a serious health crisis in our country . Extremist laws in some states are denying women access to reproductive healthcare , and that ' s not right . Everyone deserves access to the care they need , including things like breast cancer screenings and contraceptive care . It ' s important that we support clinics like this one that provide vital healthcare services to women . Let ' s make sure everyone has access to the care they need and deserve . So , big thanks to the governor , congresswoman , mayor , doctor , and everyone else here at the clinic . They do great work , especially reaching out to young people in high schools about their bodies and reproductive health . Sadly , Sex Ed is lacking in many places , leaving young people misinformed . This clinic helps women from out of state who need reproductive healthcare due to restrictive laws elsewhere . It ' s important to trust women to make their own decisions about their bodies . Now , let me introduce Dr . Traxler , who is a proud abortion provider and Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood North Central States . She ' s grateful for Vice President Harris ' visit , as it highlights the importance of reproductive healthcare access . Minnesota has become a safe haven for abortion care since the Dobbs decision . But abortion rights aren ' t just a Minnesota thing; they ' re a national issue . Our Planned Parenthood has actually seen a 25 percent increase in abortions here in Minnesota since Roe v . Wade was overturned . And we ' ve had almost a 100 percent increase in patients coming from other states . This isn ' t a coincidence . Surrounding states have been tightening restrictions on abortion , while Minnesota , thanks to our governor , has been expanding access . Since Roe v . Wade was overturned , I ' ve treated patients from all over - nearby states like South Dakota , North Dakota , and Wisconsin , but also far - away places like Texas , Alabama , Wyoming , Florida , Oklahoma , Missouri , and the list goes on . I ' ve even had patients fly in from Louisiana , only to find out that they couldn ' t have their abortion here due to their complicated pregnancy condition . They were forced to continue with a risky pregnancy because their home state didn ' t have the necessary hospital care . Traveling for essential healthcare can be really overwhelming and scary . It ' s not as easy as we make it out to be . Like one patient who came from a small rural town and got lost in downtown Minneapolis with a dead cell phone . Thankfully , we were able to help her find a Lyft driver , but she described that driver as her savior . Another patient drove hundreds of miles through a blizzard just to get her abortion . Our new abortion landscape is tough , it ' s dangerous , and it ' s putting my patients and healthcare providers at serious risk . I ' ve talked to my colleagues in states where abortion is now illegal , and they ' re struggling with the ethical dilemma of providing proper medical care while also conflicting with the law . This should never happen . Thankfully , providing abortion care has become less complicated in Minnesota . Here , I ' m trusted as a provider and an expert to work with my patients and give them the best care possible . It ' s a comfort to know that I ' m trusted to do my job , but that should be the norm everywhere . Private medical decisions should be made between patients and their doctors , without interference from politicians or protesters outside our clinic today . You know , I didn ' t always think this way . I used to be anti - abortion and had a really distorted view of abortion care . It wasn ' t until a friend shared her abortion story with me that I had a change of heart . After hearing her story and understanding her situation , I realized that an abortion was the right choice for her , for her life , for her future , and nobody else ' s . And that ' s when it hit me . Q: Hi . Thank you . We couldn ' t join you on the tour , so can you give us an idea of what you saw back there? AIDE: Let ' s move on to the next question , Madam Vice President . Darlene , to your left , from the AP . THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah . AIDE: We ' ll take a few questions , starting with Rochelle from the Star Tribune . Q: Hi , Madam Vice President . Why do you think it took so long for a president or vice president to visit an abortion provider? And how concerned are you about the 20 percent who voted uncommitted in the Minnesota presidential primary?Q So , what do you see as your role on this issue? Q Madam Vice President , what do you see as your role on this issue , given that the administration has done all it can to protect abortion rights and Congress probably won ' t pass a bill to codify them? AIDE: Thanks , Vice President . Now we ' ll go to Nick at the New York Times . THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well , what I saw were , I don’t know , maybe like 24 healthcare workers who really care — like , really care about their patients and who understand that in the healthcare delivery system , regardless of your gender or your healthcare need , we should all expect and definitely want to be treated with dignity and in a safe environment . And by that , I mean a place where you feel comfortable and not judged , where your needs are actually heard and taken seriously . Walking through this clinic , that ' s exactly what I saw - people who have dedicated their lives to providing healthcare in a safe space that respects people ' s dignity . And I think we should all want that for each other . THE VICE PRESIDENT: My role is to do exactly what I just did - to express these points and keep talking about them , and to rally people around an issue that ' s affecting more people than you can imagine , people who are silently suffering , as I mentioned earlier . THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well , Congress will pass that bill once we win back the House . ( Applause . ) And I ' m sure of it . And on this issue , one thing we must emphasize as we shed light on the real stories and consequences of the Dobbs decision is that elections matter . They really do . What happened here in Minnesota , with the governor ' s reelection and the change in the state legislature , is what has ensured that these fundamental rights are protected . Elections matter . And let me make it clear , when it comes to national elections and who represents us in Congress , there ' s a key point that most people agree with - that one doesn ' t have to give up their faith or deeply held beliefs to understand that the government shouldn ' t dictate what women can do with their bodies . If a woman chooses to , she can consult with her priest , pastor , rabbi , or imam . But it ' s not the government ' s place to control her choices . So , those of us lucky enough to have a bunch of microphones in front of us , like me , have a duty to share and uplift these stories . I believe that most Americans have empathy and can agree that no one should have to suffer . Thanks , Vice President . Just one more question from Patricia at Bloomberg . Hi there . Madam Vice President , Roe v . Wade was never perfect . What do you think should replace it and what should it look like? What protections should it offer? Well , what we really want is to bring back the protections that the Supreme Court took away by making them into law . That ' s the goal . Thanks , Madam Vice President . That ' s all .
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