John,

We were buoyed to see the inauguration of a new administration. We were also excited that President Biden repealed Trump’s cruel ‘global gag’ rule which had barred U.S. funding for organizations abroad that performed abortion or offered information about them. [1]

Help Reproaction fight for increased access to abortion today.

Despite this, we were disappointed to watch White House press secretary Jen Psaki dodge a straightforward question about overturning the Hyde amendment, which strips abortion coverage under Medicaid, making abortion a cost-prohibitive procedure for many low-income people.

Everyone deserves access to abortion, no matter their income. Give to show you agree.

What’s more, she referenced Biden’s Catholic faith while dodging the question. [2] As someone who grew up Catholic, has devoted my life to gender equality, and continues to have a complicated relationship with where to go from here, one of the areas where I take solace is the knowledge that Catholic people use reproductive care at pretty much the same rates as everyone else and are most pointedly not in alignment with the all-male hierarchy that shuns women and shames reproductive care. [3]

People of all faiths have abortions and people of all faiths deserve access to the full, unlimited range of reproductive options. [4] Donate to our work destigmatizing abortion care.

Sincerely,

Erin Matson
Executive Director, Reproaction

P.S. We demand our elected officials push for more expansive abortion access. We refuse to settle for any form of compromise. Join us in holding them accountable.

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/01/28/biden-trump-abortion-global-gag-rule-faq/

[2] https://www.c-span.org/video/?508148-1/white-house-press-secretary-jen-psaki-holds-briefing

[3] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-most-catholic-women-us-use-birth-cont/most-catholic-women-in-u-s-use-birth-control-idUSTRE73D4SZ20110414

[4] https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2020/10/people-all-religions-use-birth-control-and-have-abortions