VIDEO – LEADER JEFFRIES FLOOR SPEECH ON THE EXTREME MAGA REPUBLICAN MARCH TO CRIMINALIZE ABORTION CARE

January 11, 2023

Washington, DC – Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the extreme House Republican anti-abortion bills under consideration today.

Remarks as delivered:

"I thank the distinguished gentleman from New York for yielding, and all my colleagues for their continued leadership on this incredibly important issue.

The 118th Congress has begun and the differences between our side of the aisle and the other side of the aisle couldn't be any clearer. Now, let me, of course, reiterate that as Democrats, we look forward to trying to find common ground whenever and wherever possible to solve issues of consequence on behalf of the American people but we will oppose extremism whenever it rears its ugly head.

Democrats have made clear, we are going to continue to work on issues like lower costs, better-paying jobs, safer communities, defend democracy, protect the public interest, ensure economic opportunity in every single zip code and, yes, fight for reproductive freedom.

My Republican colleagues, you promised to come to Washington to fight for the American people but have spent a lot of time fighting each other on politics, power and personality, not working on issues related to the public interests. That's what the last few days have indicated, an Extreme MAGA Republican agenda. Now that you are getting into substance, on Monday, you pass a bill designed to allow the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected to cheat on their taxes. Subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless, benefit millionaires and billionaires, not working class families, not middle class families, not low income families, not veterans, not everyday Americans, the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. That was on Monday.

Then on Tuesday, you come to the floor and you pass a select committee on insurrection protection, a committee that is clearly designed, in the words of some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, to obstruct justice. As part of your evident desire, as many of you have said, to eventually defund the FBI.

That was Tuesday. And now on Wednesday you come to the floor. Nothing on inflation, nothing on quality of life issues for the American people, nothing even on public safety. But you come to the floor as part of your march to criminalize abortion care, to impose a nationwide ban, to set into motion government mandated pregnancies. So that's the distinction for today.

As Democrats, we believe in a woman's freedom to make her own reproductive health care decisions. Period. Full stop. A decision that should be between a woman, her family and her doctors. Period. Full stop. We believe in Roe v. Wade. You wonder about our position? That's it. The Women's Health Protection Act. That's it. Freedom to make your own reproductive health care decisions. That's it.

As compared to a clear effort – that's what this bill is about today – a march toward criminalizing abortion care. A nationwide ban, government mandated pregnancies, part of an Extreme MAGA Republican agenda.

And so, yes, we continue to extend our hand of partnership if you truly want to work on quality of life issues, but we haven't seen it. We haven't seen it on Monday, we haven't seen it on Tuesday and we're not seeing it today. So we oppose this bill. We oppose an Extreme MAGA Republican agenda and let's get back to the business of the American people."

Watch the full floor speech here.