FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 22, 2021
Contact: Nikki Metzgar
(202) 599-7642 / nmetzgar@napawf.org

Washington, D.C. — Today marks 48 years since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. President Biden and Vice President Harris released a statement expressing their commitment to health care access and appointing judges that respect the right to abortion established by Roe.

National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“Despite the right established by Roe v. Wade, people of color, including Asian American and Pacific Islander women and especially immigrants, have always faced unjust obstacles to getting an abortion. The Supreme Court now has a supermajority of judges who oppose abortion and our communities’ ability to get the care we need is under greater threat than ever. 

While President Biden’s commitment to codifying the so-called “right to choose” and appointing judges who respect that right is a step in the right direction, it isn’t enough. AAPI women need true access to the full range of reproductive health care, including affordable, culturally informed abortion care. To see the administration’s statement exclude a commitment to policy change that creates tangible abortion access beyond the “right to choose” is deeply disappointing.

We urge President Biden to move swiftly to permanently lift outdated restrictions on medication abortion so that people aren’t forced to seek care in-person and take on unnecessary risk during the pandemic. He must also deliver on his commitment to end the Hyde Amendment and pledge to vetoing any laws that extend or include restrictions on insurance coverage of abortion. And without a strong commitment from this administration to expand the courts, many of these much-needed reforms may be stalled or prevented.

Continuing to protect only the legality of abortion alone does not address the realities of what it is to be pregnant and AAPI and unable to pay for an abortion. Our fight is to not only protect the right established by Roe v. Wade, but to widen it, so that our most marginalized communities may take part in this fundamental freedom.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build collective power so that all AAPI women and girls can have full agency over our lives, our families, and our communities.