Quigley Defends Abortion Access After Harmful SCOTUS Ruling

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government (FSGG), spoke in defense of abortion access for the women of the District of Columbia during the Appropriations Committee markup of the FY23 FSGG bill. Republican legislators introduced an amendment to prevent the District of Columbia from using their own funds for abortion and block FEHB coverage for abortion services. Quigley strenuously opposed the amendment and defended the right of DC women to make their own health care choices.

This was just the latest gambit by Republicans on the Appropriations Committee to restrict abortion access for women in DC and dictate how the District uses their funds. It came on the heels of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe, which Quigley called "shameful."

During his remarks opposing today's amendment, Quigley said, "This is not about being pro-life, or protecting women, or any of the nonsense we hear from anti-abortion extremists. It is about power, and it is about control. It is about taking away the ability of American women to determine their own destiny, and to choose for themselves if and when they would like to become a parent."

Video of Quigley's remarks before the Committee is available to view HERE.

Quigley's statement on the SCOTUS decision overturning Roe is available HERE.

Quigley's remarks as prepared for delivery are available below:

I rise in strong opposition to the amendment offered by Rep. Hinson.

Today, the United States Supreme Court took the unprecedented step of stripping American women of the constitutional right to decide their own reproductive destiny.

Extremist justices on the Supreme Court, abetted by a stolen Supreme Court seat, overturned a fifty-year precedent that Americans have the right to an abortion.

This is a historic error.

Let me be clear: Overturning Roe does not mean that there won't be abortions.

It simply means that in many states, there won't be safe abortions.

I'm proud that in my home state of Illinois, we have protected the right to choose.

But women in many of your districts are not so lucky.

Many will have to travel hundreds of miles to seek abortion care —

Effectively ending access for many low-income women.

This is not about being pro-life, or protecting women, or any of the nonsense we hear from anti-abortion extremists.

It is about power, and it is about control.

It is about taking away the ability of American women to determine their own destiny;

And to choose for themselves if and when they would like to become a parent.

This amendment would build upon the tragic, historic mistake at the Supreme Court this morning.

It would impose two restrictions on abortion access.

These restrictions would apply to Federal employees and their dependents through their FEHB insurance plans and to restrict access to abortion in the District of Columbia.

In the DC instance, the amendment would block the use of local funds and Federal funds for abortion services.

This is an unnecessary restriction that bans Federal employees from accessing medical services.

We shouldn't deny anyone coverage just because of how they are insured. It is simply not fair for Congress to mandate that hardworking civil servants should get different health coverage from their neighbors.

This is a personal health decision made by women and their families in consultation with their doctors. It is not something that elected officials – or unelected, extremist justices – should be deciding.

The government has no place controlling women's bodies.

For these reasons, I must OPPOSE Ms. Hinson's amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.