Under the cover of the coronavirus, some extreme voices have been trying to roll back the right to a safe and legal abortion.

So, let me be clear right up front: especially now, abortions are an essential health care right, and the choice of whether or not to have one should be left up to a woman and her doctor.

As the spread of the coronavirus has reached a critical point, extreme anti-choice politicians are looking to it as cover to restrict the right to a safe and legal abortion. In Texas, the Republican governor sought to restrict access, claiming it wasn't necessary during a pandemic.

This effort wasn't isolated. In other states, extreme voices have looked to this crisis to advance their anti-abortion agenda, to ban abortions in coronavirus relief packages. At a time when we should be making access to health care easier, these people want to make it more difficult.

As much as we hope for a quick end to this crisis, the truth is that this crisis is ongoing. And that means we need to do everything we can in these difficult days to protect total access to health care.

That includes safe and legal abortions, and that's one of my promises to you: I'll oppose any effort to restrict abortion access — during this pandemic, and after.

These procedures are essential medicine, and I will fight all attempts to use this crisis as a cover to advance an extremist political agenda.

Ron