By Belén Pizarro

Posted on June 26, 2024

 

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra made his third stop on the “National Reproductive Health for All Tour” in Colorado on June 21. Secretary Becerra, alongside Congresswomen Diana DeGette, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado Dianne Primavera, and local reproductive healthcare leaders from Cobalt,  COLOR, and Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains, spoke about the importance of reproductive healthcare and the current threats it faces by legislators around the nation.

 

The Weekly Issue/El Semanario live streamed the press conference on June 21^st and is available here.

 

U.S. Congresswoman Diana DeGette began the press conference that was hosted in her District.

 

“Obviously, the issue of reproductive health has become the top issue in this country right now, not just for the election, but really for public policy and affecting the ability and freedom of every single American to get the healthcare that they need including abortion, not politicians in Washington deciding what’s going to happen,” stated Rep. DeGette.

 

“Monday is the two-year anniversary of the devastating Dobbs supreme court decision and that decision has wrought nothing short of chaos and confusion in this country, after that decision happened two years ago. Immediately laws either banning or severely restricting abortion in twenty-one states took effect because they had bans enacted by far-right conservative legislatures, but they had not gone into effect because of the protections that Roe versus Wade gave to every American. Suddenly, Americans across the country were faced with severe restrictions on their healthcare.

“Everybody knows the stories and the stories are shocking, there was a ten-year-old girl in Ohio who was raped and whose parents had to take her to another state to get the healthcare that she needed.

 

“The stories out of Texas continue to multiply because Texas has leaned in in trying to punish people who need reproductive choice and the one that strikes me the most is the woman who was carrying a baby and started to have a miscarriage and she went to the emergency room and where she was told that they couldn’t perform the necessary abortion services to terminate the miscarriage, she would have to go home and get really, really sick – she did that – she had sepsis, she almost died. And now it’s unlikely that she and her husband will ever be able to have another baby. This is what the Supreme Court wrought on the citizens of the United States, and this is what we’re here to talk about today,” said Rep. DeGette.

 

Secretary Becerra’s tour will visit six states, highlighting the Biden Harris administration’s efforts to expand and protect reproductive rights. The Secretary began by recognizing at the critical moment his tour comes at, where across the country abortion, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and contraception are under attack by elected officials. He emphasized that the overturn of Roe v. Wade two years ago was not only consequential to abortion but was consequential to all healthcare. The current attacks on commonplace procedures, such as IVF, affect not only women, but all Americans.

“We call this the ‘Reproductive Health for All Tour,’ but I could have simply called this the ‘Health for all Tour,’ because reproductive health is important to everyone, and congresswoman you made it very clear that in vitro fertilization is important to the spouses who are trying to have a child, not just to the woman, who might not be able to bear or the husband who might not be able to provide sperm that’s active. It is important that we recognize that healthcare is at stake here today,” stressed Sec. Becerra.

 

“Two years ago, the supreme court struck down fifty-years of rights, of protections, and the consequence wasn’t just a consequence on abortion; it was a consequence on access to care, so what we’re talking about today, what we fight for today and what we are fortunate to have here in Colorado today, is access to healthcare. But it should be accessible everywhere,” said the Health Secretary.

 

Secretary Becerra emphasized that despite the rhetoric that surrounds the discussion of reproductive healthcare that ultimately “we’re fighting for the right, the freedom, to make decisions about ourselves and our bodies.”

“Why is it that women aren’t sure what their rights really are even in states like Colorado? Why is it that the privacy of that woman as a patient, the privacy of the physician who provides that woman with care should be in jeopardy?” asked Sec. Becerra. “We’re fighting for the right, the freedom to be able to make decisions about ourselves and our bodies. And we are fighting to maintain that autonomy that Americans treasure, the civil liberties, the individual freedoms that have made this country strong, because we respect each other as much as we are a collective, we still recognize the right of individuals to be whole, and to protect them as they make decisions about what’s best for them. This Tour is about making sure no one is confused, this Tour is about making sure you know what your rights are, this Tour is about making sure no one deprives you of your right to get the healthcare you need, and this tour is about making sure that if you can’t get the healthcare you need where you live, we’re going to help you find it so you don’t go without.

 

“There have been too many cases where the outcome has been near fatal. And we know that in states that restrict access to reproductive healthcare – if you’re a woman you are two or three times more likely to die if you’re going through pregnancy. That is not right,” added Sec. Becerra.

 

All the speakers went on to talk about Colorado’s overwhelmed healthcare system from patients having to travel from other states to receive the necessary healthcare. According to Secretary Becerra there have been over 170,000 women who have had to travel outside of their state to seek healthcare.

 

Dusti Gurule, the President and CEO of COLOR and COLOR Action Fund, stressed the grassroots work that has been done in Colorado and the twenty-six-year effort by COLOR on reproductive justice for Latinas.

“We have been working since we were founded in 1998 to ensure that Latino communities, Latinas have a voice in the policy making table. And as we continue to grow, and we continue to build, and always front and center for all the work we do, is our community.

 

Colorado is in a good place – abortion is legal here—but I would argue it’s still not completely accessible, we still have health care deserts throughout the state; there are hundreds of thousands of people who are not able to access abortion care because of their state-funded insurance.

 

But we are going to change that. On November 5, when everyone here votes yes on Initiative 89 –the number may change, but you’ll hear from us when it does change—because for us it’s not just about legality, it’s about accessibility, and free of stigma.”

 

Dianne Primavera, Lieutenant Governor of Colorado spoke at the “National Reproductive Health for All Tour” in Colorado.

 

“As the Lieutenant Governor of Colorado, I affirm that abortion is healthcare and every person in Colorado has the right to decide if, and when how to start a family. Colorado supports access to more freedom,” said the Lt. Gov.

 

“I also stand here as a woman, a single mom, a grandmother, an individual that’s has been diagnosed with cancer on four separate occasions, I just like any other patient bring my own life experience when I meet with my doctor, and I can’t be defined by a list of medications and procedures. That’s why it’s essential that we honor the humanity and the autonomy of patients and protect the decisions they make with their providers. Reproductive freedoms for Americans are being attacked from all sides, but Colorado is standing up for bodily autonomy,” stated Lt. Gov. Primavera.

 

Adrienne Mansanares, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Rockies, said that since the Dobbs decision 15,000 people have traveled for care to their facilities. She told the story of a couple from Texas who decided to seek an abortion and had to drive 17 hours to Colorado. They made the decision to leave their children and phones at home because they did not feel safe bringing them. They also touched on healthcare providers in these states that struggle between the decision to provide necessary care to their patients or putting themselves and their licenses in jeopardy.

Karen Middleton, President of Cobalt Advocates emphasized that in Colorado there is the Reproductive Health Equity Act in place, yet it is only in statute- meaning that protection is only as good as the next election. Advocates and elected officials are working to put the Act into the state constitution.

 

“It’s been almost two years since the Dobbs decision, and even though it was expected, please remember that it was a gut punch – it really impacted so many people,” said Middleton. “I can’t tell you how many people came up to me and said I never believed we would be here. So, a lot of people were really truly unprepared for that loss of rights. Rights so many of us grew up with were simply gone.”

 

Middleton noted how Colorado has been impacted by the Supreme Court decision. “There’s a mistake in notion that those of us in these states where abortion is legal, are doing okay. And we’re really not’” stressed Middleton. “We are overwhelmed. We have providers and advocates and healthcare organizations standing here with me who are overwhelmed by the pace and number of people that are asking for our help. The Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization supreme court decision overturning Roe v Wade has had a profound impact on abortion access in Colorado. As one of the few regional access points for abortion seekers, Colorado’s patient load has increased dramatically, as has the practical and mental health stress on providers and advocates alike. This is a strain on the entire system. And it’s intentional. The trauma inflicted not just on abortion seekers, but the people helping them is the goal of the anti-abortion movement and those seeking to ban abortion nationally. And make no mistake, that is their intent. There are no unintended consequences to these bans.

 

“We need a system change and that’s why this Tour is so important,” added Middleton.

 

All speakers made it evident that even though Colorado is a safe haven for those seeking abortions and reproductive healthcare among the Western states, there is still more to be done to support our healthcare providers and solidify the rights and protections in place of Coloradans. Secretary Becerra ended by re-stating the goals of his tour are to ensure that people understand their rights, while finding and receiving the proper care they need.

 

Belén Pizarro is an Independent Reporter for The Weekly Issue/El Semanario.