Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Demanding Answers From Anti-Choice Republicans On Support For States Monitoring Women’s Pregnancies

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on Republicans’ continued attacks on reproductive freedom and the right to choose. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Just when we thought Republicans’ anti-choice rhetoric couldn’t get more extreme, Republicans keep stooping to new lows. In an interview yesterday, Donald Trump – the presumptive Republican nominee for president – was asked about claims that he “would support certain states with bans monitoring a woman’s pregnancy.” Donald Trump’s response? “Well, that would be up to the states.”

That would be up to the states?

Let me say that again, so American people hear how extreme this is: Donald Trump was asked yesterday if he would support states who want to monitor women’s pregnancies – monitor women’s pregnancies. Instead of condemning this grotesque invasion of privacy, Donald Trump thinks that if the states decide to do so, that is apparently a-OK. It’s revolting.

In just the last few months, we’ve seen states like Florida enact some of the most extreme and cruel abortion bans in decades. So, if Donald Trump and hard-right Republicans get back into power, should there be any surprise if some states pass laws allowing for women’s pregnancies to be monitored?

I ask my Senate colleagues: Senate colleagues, Republican Senate colleagues, do you agree with Donald Trump’s extreme, intrusive, crazy view that states should be able to monitor pregnant women if they want?

Do my Senate Republican colleagues – who say they are the party of individual freedom – believe states should have the power to track movements of millions of women if they so choose?

Make no mistake: Senate Republicans created the mess we’re in right now, where the presumptive Republican nominee is seemingly open to states monitoring pregnant women. Senate Republicans owe the American people an answer on where they stand on this absurd invasion of Americans’ privacy.

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