ICYMI: Kamlager-Dove on Four Years Since the Dobbs Decision

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Board Co-Chair of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, spoke at a press conference with Democratic leadership, the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, the Democratic Women's Caucus, and advocates to mark four years since the Supreme Court's disastrous Dobbs decision.

An excerpt of her remarks as delivered is below and footage is available here.

I am Sydney Kamlager-Dove. I represent the 37th Congressional District in California.

I am also the proud co-chair of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, and my commitment to reproductive justice began long before the Supreme Court overturned Roe and dragged women back 50 years.

When I was younger, I recall crying tears of joy looking at an ultrasound because I was pregnant. I also remember crying tears of pain when I went back to the doctor and the doctor said there was no more heartbeat.

But I was fortunate enough to live in California, a state that values me, my body, and my choice to give me the reproductive care that I and every woman deserve.

We have heard all of the stories. Ms. Shanette just shared a powerful one of women waiting hours and hours, traveling, bleeding out. Horror stories. You wouldn't want to read about them, you wouldn't want to see them in the movies, but they are happening to our friends, our family members, our loved ones.

In California, the fight for reproductive freedom looks different because we are fortunate, thank God, that the fundamental right to abortion is protected in our state constitution. But not every state is as courageous or as honest as California.

Reproductive health care is health care, and women deserve it. I have watched as women have just tried to pull all of their pennies together, sometimes to drive, sometimes to get on a Greyhound bus to come to a safe state to get an abortion.

And you know that travel time is precious time, and every hour, every day that they are not in front of a doctor is really perilous for their life and for the life of the fetus, baby, that is inside of them.

I'm gonna share with you about K, a patient from Texas, living without her family. Her family was living in another country. She had just broken up with her partner when she realized that she was both pregnant and had cancer.

But in order to get the chemo that she needed to save her life, she had to have an abortion, and she couldn't do it in Texas. She was in an impossible position, and she had to make an untenable decision to make her way to California to receive the abortion that she needed in order to save her life so she could continue on her health care journey and try to have a child.

And before K got on the plane, she turned to the Planned Parenthood staff and thanked them. Because of the care you have given me, "I now have hope" that I can live and can continue to try to have a child.

Thankfully, K got the care that she needed. But we are here, Ms. Shanette is here, you all are here because we have to change that story from being normalized. Women should have access to the care they need in their own state, so they are not struggling to get someplace else that sees them as a whole person.

We have expanded our capacity in California, but we can't do it alone. We need a federal government that is willing to step up and stand up and dignify women.

Women are sharing the stories of their reproductive health journey. We need the men to also do the same. This is not just about women. This is not just about men. This is not just about pregnant people.

This is about living in a country that sees you and values you and will dignify you by giving you the health care that you need wherever you are, whatever skin color you are in.

We cannot stop fighting because reproductive health care is under attack everywhere.

Women, pregnant people are being threatened everywhere, and we must not, we cannot, we will not go back.

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