Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, marks four years since Trump’s Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and stripping the right to abortion care from the American people. Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Vice Chairs Emilia Sykes (OH-13) and Hillary Scholten (MI-03) issued the following statement, renewing their commitment to restore, protect, and expand reproductive healthcare for all:

“Since the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision ripped away the right to abortion healthcare, women across the country have bled to death in hospital parking lots, become septic or infertile, and carried unwanted pregnancies against their will because Republicans' abortion bans denied them lifesaving care. These bans aren’t just deadly, they’re deeply unpopular. Time and time again, Americans have made it clear: Women deserve to make their own decisions about abortion without governmental interference. 

That’s why the Democratic Women’s Caucus is fighting for a better future where every woman has access to the reproductive healthcare she needs. We’re spearheading legislation to restore the right to abortion care for all, end discriminatory coverage bans, and make sure every person has access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare wherever they live and work. We'll never stop fighting until that vision for a better future becomes a reality, and until every woman has the freedom to make her own healthcare decisions and access the care she needs.”

BACKGROUND:

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and struck down the constitutional right to abortion. This decision deprived millions of women of access to abortion care, with full bans or severe restrictions in 25 states. 

The lack of national-level protection for reproductive healthcare has led to state-level attacks on reproductive care and abortion access, including attacks on access to telehealth and medication abortion. Additionally, the Trump administration has continued to attack reproductive care broadly since Dobbs. Their One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law, stripped funding from health centers, shuttering clinics and disproportionately impacted low-income women and women of color. 

The result of these ongoing attacks is a confusing patchwork of laws and enormous barriers to both women seeking access to care and to providers. Doctors are threatened with criminal penalties for providing routine, evidence-based medical care. Patients must travel further and face dangerous delays in accessing care. Both Dobbs and more recent attacks continue to limit the agency and rights of those seeking reproductive care.

However, in the face of these attacks, Democratic Members in Congress, led by the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Reproductive Freedom Caucus (RFC) are spearheading the fight to restore, protect, and expand reproductive healthcare. As part of the DWC’s mission to build a better future for every woman, we have engaged in work in Washington D.C. and districts across the country to defend women and girls from the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail reproductive rights.

Over the last year, DWC urged the Administration to rescind its Proposed Rule to ban abortion care for veterans, called for them to fund Title X grants, and urged that Trump and Republicans make investments to protect women’s healthcare in their Appropriations process. DWC also spotlighted Republicans’ attacks on reproductive healthcare at a hearing hosted in partnership with RFC and Democratic leadership. DWC members continue to introduce and push for a variety of legislation to restore, protect, and expand reproductive healthcare.

For information on your reproductive rights, please visit RFC “Know Your Rights” resources here.

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