The Senate announced today that the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next week on “later-term” abortion, rekindling the baseless persecution that surrounded the so-called “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” late last year. Advocates for Youth is deeply disappointed in the Senate’s continued harassment of people who seek and provide abortion care, and the blatant efforts to further restrict access to vital healthcare services. This hearing is yet another tactic in a series of coordinated systemic attacks on reproductive healthcare that this Congress has introduced. These tactics are not only harmful, but they are an unnecessary waste of time in a season when our legislators should be focused on making a budget, or passing proactive legislation that supports rather than endangers their constituents.

One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime, and every person deserves access to safe and compassionate abortion care, whatever their needs or circumstances. Young people in particular are more likely to face legal, economic, and social barriers to accessing abortion services and providers. They may be forced to delay an abortion until later in pregnancy because they need time to assemble the funds to pay for an abortion or obtain available transportation and reach a provider. Advocates for Youth supports the efforts of lawmakers who truly care about protecting young people’s health and safety and are working to address the health needs of people who seek later abortion care. We must focus on protecting young people’s access to the full range of healthcare services and empowering them to lead safe, healthy lives.

###

Advocates for Youth is a national non-profit that champions programs and advocates for policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health. Advocates’ Youth Activist Network stands 75,000 strong on 1,000 campuses and in tens of thousands of communities.