Illinois senator shares motherhood journey in appeal to colleagues to support codifying Roe v. Wade

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Addressing her colleagues on the Senate floor, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) spoke out Tuesday about how Roe v. Wade is about much more than ending a pregnancy.

“It changed the lives of women who desperately wanted to be moms,” she said.

Duckworth shared how she says the Supreme Court ruling of nearly 50 years ago made it easier for women to make their own reproductive choices including in her journey to become a mother.

“I’d never would have had my creative, silly, drive me crazy, love them infinitely, two daughters if Roe hadn’t paved the way for women to make their own health care decisions, as I was only able to get pregnant through IVF,” she said.

Duckworth supports the Women’s Health Protection Act, which already passed the House.

The proposed legislation is written to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide abortion services including the prescribing of certain drugs,offering abortion services via telemedicine, and immediate access to abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks a mother’s health.

“It’s not just about access to abortion,” said Duckworth. “It’s about all of these states that have these trigger laws that further restrict the definition of what abortion is. For example, in some states they’re defining a fertilized egg on day one of fertilization as a person.”

Wednesday’s vote comes as Republicans speak out in support of a leaked draft opinion from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in the potential overturning of Roe vs. Wade.

“It returns this issue to the people,” said Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). “It recognizes that the Constitution doesn’t weigh in on abortion.”

With the Senate failing to move forward with this legislation, the focus turns to the nation’s highest court. The Supreme Court is anticipated to decide on the future of Roe versus Wade by the end of next month.

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