Today, Jennifer Klein, White House Gender Policy Council Director, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director, and Danielle Conley, Deputy White House Counsel, hosted a roundtable discussion with Florida reproductive rights advocates and elected leaders to discuss Florida's House Bill 5, which severely restricts access to abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The bill is expected to pass soon and become law.
During the meeting, Florida leaders shared their efforts opposing HB 5 and the steps they are taking to support women's access to reproductive health care. Senior Administration Officials emphasized the Administration's support of Floridians' reproductive rights and thanked the leaders for their efforts. They also discussed the larger trend of state laws restricting access to critical reproductive health care in states across the country. To date, over 265 bills restricting access to abortion have been filed during the 2022 legislative session. This week marked six months since Texas law SB 8 went into effect, a law that violates Texans' constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade. In the face of these challenges, Administration Officials reiterated the Administration's commitment to exploring every option to protect reproductive health care.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Biden declared that the constitutional right affirmed by Roe v. Wade is under attack as never before and reiterated his commitment to protecting women's access to health care.
Florida reproductive rights advocates and state legislators and their staff who participated in today's meeting included:
- Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book
- Incoming House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell
- Sen. Lori Berman
- Sen. Gary Farmer
- Sen. Jason Pizzo
- Rep. Anna Eskamani
- Rep. Dotie Joseph
- Rep Michele Raynor
- Rep. Kelly Skidmore
- Rep. Marie Woodson
- A Woman's Choice, Jacksonville
- ACLU of Florida
- Florida Access Network
- Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates
- Florida Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
- Generation Action, Florida A&M University
- Generation Action, Florida State University
- Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida
- Presidential Women's Center, Palm Beach
- Tampa Bay Abortion Fund
- Women's Voices Southwest Florida
