2023 House Resolution 123

Whereas, Every person should have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures with respect and dignity, including when and how to become parents, without barriers based on income or access. Abortion care, along with the full range of health care, should be affordable, available, and supported for everyone who needs it; and

Whereas, On June 24, 2022 the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and stripped away a right that had been held for nearly 50 years. Almost one third (29%) of the total U.S. population of women of reproductive age are now living in states where abortion is either unavailable or severely restricted, and a dozen other states are certain or likely to ban abortion in the future. All across the country, pregnant people now face delays when trying to access abortion care or are forced to travel hundreds of miles to states with less restrictive requirements and take on additional emotional and financial costs; and

Whereas, A 2022 report found that more than 66 clinics in 15 states have been forced to stop providing abortion care as a result of criminalization, impacting 22 million people of reproductive age who may be in need of abortion care. In these states, people are denied abortion care altogether and, without the means to travel to receive the care they need, are forced to carry a pregnancy against their will; and

Whereas, A person seeking an abortion that is denied is more likely to experience life-threatening maternal and infant health complications, more likely to have a household income below the poverty line and experience economic hardship, and more likely to stay in contact with violent partners, putting them and their children at greater risk than if they were able to receive the abortion; and

Whereas, Abortion is a safe and effective medical procedure. Leading public health organizations such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Physicians strongly oppose efforts to impede access to abortion care or interfere in the relationship between a person and health care provider; and

Whereas, Medication abortion is a FDA-approved, safe, and effective option for ending an early pregnancy up to 10 weeks and accounts for more than half of all abortions, yet anti-abortion lawmakers have enacted medically unnecessary laws to restrict and stigmatize the procedure. Congressional passage of the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2023 would protect the right to abortion and prohibit governmental restrictions on abortion; and

Whereas, Abortion care should be made available without hurdles or stigma for people of color, young people, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, immigrants, and others. Systemic racism, economic insecurity, and punitive policies such as the Hyde amendment and insurance coverage bans have especially impacted people of color and marginalized groups. Congressional passage of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act of 2023 would ensure equal, affordable access to abortion to all individuals no matter their race, how much money they make, how they are insured, who they are, or where they’re from; and

Whereas, Immigrant families continue to struggle against low wages, unfair working conditions, a dehumanizing immigration system, and restrictions to access based on documentation status. Congressional passage of the Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration Act of 2021 and the Health Equity and Access under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2021 would allow many immigrants to enroll in federal health programs like Medicaid without waiting periods and ensure that all immigrants can access affordable coverage for which they are otherwise eligible; and

Whereas, The Michigan House of Representatives stands committed to ensuring abortion is available for everyone who needs it by supporting and advancing policies that ensure abortion care is available without hurdles or stigma for all people in the communities in which they live, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. The Michigan Legislature has already taken bold steps towards abortion justice by repealing the harmful and archaic 1931 law that criminalized abortion providers and adding protections so that no worker will have to face discrimination based on their reproductive health outcomes, including having an abortion; and

Whereas, Local leaders and stakeholders in Michigan are working to advance comprehensive abortion justice policies that address the lived realities of abortion access. Abortion providers in the state of Michigan offer quality and compassionate care, making Michigan a state that will always be a place for those in need of abortion care; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the United States Congress to enact legislation that would ensure abortion is affordable and available for anyone who needs it and to support the President of the United States’ efforts to protect abortion access across the country; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the President of the United States Senate, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.