FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 12, 2019
Contact: Liza Dee, [email protected], 860-304-2294
Statement from the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) Action Fund
New York – Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) Action Fund, released the following statement tonight denouncing yet another Democratic debate in which both the moderators and candidates failed to address reproductive health care. Despite more than forty minutes of discussion on health care, the third debate saw not one mention of the crisis of abortion access – even as the issue ranks among the voting public’s top priorities.
In an op-ed for Refinery29 published earlier today, Miller wrote that the candidates have an “opportunity and obligation” to address reproductive freedom head on.
“Tonight, we watched three hours of debate and heard zero mentions of the crisis of abortion access in this country. The candidates and moderators once again missed a critical opportunity to talk about their plans to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and fight back against a backwards administration that has made reversing Roe its top priority,” said Andrea Miller, president of the NIRH Action Fund. “The fact is, these candidates can run and win by showing support for abortion access: more than sixty percent of American adults now believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. And each day, facing attacks from both their state and federal governments, millions of Americans wonder whether they’ll be able to access these essential health care services. As we look toward another debate in October, I sincerely hope all of the candidates will make note of what’s been missing from our dialogue thus far – and ensure that the need for safe, legal, affordable and accessible abortion is central to the next discussion.”
For more than a decade, NIRH has been a leader in the fight to advance reproductive freedom across the country. Recently, they were integral to the successful effort to repeal an outdated criminal abortion ban in Massachusetts, and they led the fight to pass New York’s landmark Reproductive Health Act. Earlier this year, NIRH published a report tracking the passage of more than 100 bills to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice in 27 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.).
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The NIRH Action Fund conducts nonpartisan advocacy and electoral engagement to advance reproductive freedom in states and cities across the country.