TRANSCRIPT: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Remarks At A Press Conference On Protecting Our Veterans’ Access To Reproductive Health Care

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke alongside leading Senate Democrats, veterans, and abortion rights advocacy groups on the Republican attack on veterans’ access to reproductive health care. Republicans, led by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), are pushing a vote on a resolution that would deny veterans the ability to make their own healthcare decisions, which the Senate will vote on later today. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

When health and safety of our country is at risk, we all know it’s up to veterans to step up to protect us. They risk their lives for us. They’re always there for us.

And now, when these same veterans have their health care attacked, Senate Democrats are stepping up to protect their rights.

Today, Senator Tuberville from Alabama will push legislation that would take away reproductive care for hundreds of thousands of veterans and their families.

That’s right: the hard right is telling our veterans that they’ll be treated as second class citizens – and we say, no way, no way, no way!

Despite everything our veterans have given to our country, it’s outrageous, it’s wrong, it’s dangerous, and it ain’t gonna happen, not as long as I’m Leader. We together will fight for our veterans and make sure the Senate rejects this anti-choice legislation.

Here’s the bottom line: they protect our freedom – we should protect their freedom of choice, plain and simple.

Now, I’m not the only one on the right side of this. I’m joined by millions of Americans across the country who support veterans’ right to choose, who prioritize health care over politics.

This alone is an affront to our brave veterans and servicemembers, but it’s even made worse. If Tuberville can make such an awful thing worse, he did! Because he’s threatening our national security by blocking over 180 military promotions, something Secretary Austin even warned was so wildly dangerous.

Tuberville’s stunt is kneecapping our military readiness in critical areas across the globe; all this to prevent Americans who’ve served their country from accessing medical care and putting the power of choice instead in the hands of politicians.

It’s disappointing, so disappointing, that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle haven’t yet called out Senator Tuberville for his reckless stunt. Their silence is deafening. A few have, but very, very few. I thank those who have raised their voices, but we need more because the silence is deafening.

And I ask Republicans, especially those that claim to be great supporters of the military and their families, to denounce the harm the Senator from Alabama is causing to both our military and readiness, and as I said, to hundreds of thousands of women veterans who he’s taking away their rights.

This is a hard-right agenda: eliminate the right to choose at all costs, even at the cost of our national defense.

So, to our nation’s finest, the great veterans who have served us, my promise as Majority Leader: you protect us and now Senate Democrats will protect you. We will win this fight.

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