John

I recently published an opinion piece in the Syracuse Post-Standard about abortion rights, and wanted to make sure you saw the main points. You deserve to know exactly where your next member of Congress stands on choice – especially now.

The recent overturning of Roe v. Wade has torn through the fabric of our society. Since the ruling, we have seen chaos and tragedy as Republicans across the country have moved swiftly to enact the most extreme abortion bans possible.

Over twenty plus years of service, I have taken an oath to the Constitution six times. Each time I took this oath, it was to defend a Constitution that protected a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions. In June, six Republican-appointed Justices on the Supreme Court not only overturned nearly 50 years of legal precedent, they issued a ruling that runs counter to our country’s values.

New York is not safe from this dangerous extremism. Currently, more than 165 Republicans in the House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors to a bill that will outlaw abortion in all circumstances everywhere in the United States. If elected with a majority this November, Republicans in Congress will rush to pass the first-ever national abortion ban, which will make abortion illegal here in New York State. That is what is at stake in November.

Regardless of one’s personal view on abortion, every American deserves the right to be free of this massive government overreach. A woman’s fundamental healthcare decisions are her own to make.

This month, I’ll take my seventh oath to the Constitution when I am promoted to captain in the U.S. Navy Reserves. It will be the first time I have taken this oath to a Constitution that, now that the Republican-appointed majority of our Supreme Court has ruled, does not protect a woman’s fundamental right to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions.

If elected to represent the people of New York’s 22nd District in Congress, I will take another oath to our Constitution. When doing so, I will be committed to restoring the rights of women across America.

When you go to your polling place, remember that freedom is on the ballot this November. Elect a Congressperson who will work to protect the right to a safe and legal abortion, one who believes in and will work to secure our most basic and fundamental rights as Americans, and one who will oppose an America where men have more rights than women.

Thank you,
Francis