An unlawful, cruel assault on marginalized people

 

This week while the Supreme Court heard arguments for Medina vs. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, I stood on the steps of the Court to call out Republicans’ coordinated attacks on health care and Medicaid.

Now as we get into it, let me start by saying: This entire case is an unlawful, unjust, and cruel assault on Black women, people of color, and other vulnerable people who get their health care through Medicaid.

The case began in 2018, when South Carolina’s governor tried to ban Medicaid patients from getting their health care from Planned Parenthood. Now, this Supreme Court decision could keep people who use Medicaid from visiting Planned Parenthood for essential, routine care — care that has nothing to do with abortion, I might add. That’s birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, wellness exams.

This case is an assault on low-income folks, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, and those in rural and underserved communities. All people who are most likely to get their routine health care through their state and federal Medicaid programs.

No one should be denied the right to choose their healthcare provider. The government should not have a seat at the table when you’re choosing what doctor to visit, full stop. And it’s disturbing that Republicans will go to these lengths to try and control what we do with our bodies.

I am proud to be the Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. It’s my duty to defend safe access to all forms of reproductive care.

So I am standing on the side of freedom.

The freedom to choose when, how, and whether to grow your family.

The freedom to choose where you get your health care.

The freedom to choose.

Let me make it plain: The attacks on our health care, our basic freedoms and our bodily autonomy are tied.

No matter who you are, where you live, or who you love, you should be able to get the health care you need, when you need it, in your home community.

We are witnessing the most sweeping attempt yet to dismantle Medicaid. Republicans are attacking Medicaid in every branch of government and at every level of government.

And they would love us to stop fighting. They want us to accept their harmful agenda as an inevitability, and let them strip health care away from millions of people, especially Black, brown, indigenous, disabled and queer folks.

But we will not give them that. The law is on our side and so, too, is the power of the people.

I’ll always fight for more accessible health care. Are you with me in defending our right to health care and reproductive freedom? If you can, please pitch in any amount you can to fuel our fight.

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Onward,

Ayanna

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