On July 19, Rep. Sara Jacobs, CA District 53, was arrested at a peaceful demonstration in support of reproductive rights. Jacobs joined the Center for Popular Democracy, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, and constituents with personal ties to abortion access to call for immediate legislation to protect and expand reproductive rights following the Supreme Courts’ June ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the “Republicans’ crusade to criminalize personal reproductive health decisions.”
“As a young woman myself, reproductive health care is my health care. So, I know personally that decisions about how, when, and if to grow a family are personal and private and should never be decided by the Supreme Court or by Congress,” said Jacobs in a press release.
“Millions of Americans are already suffering unnecessarily because of the Supreme Court’s shameful decision, and the continued cruelty of Republican leaders across the country. I won’t stop fighting to protect reproductive health care, including the right to an abortion, and I will proudly put my body on the line to make it clear just how urgently we need to act.”
The House passed legislation codifying abortion rights and protecting the right to travel across state lines to access abortion care last week. Jacobs will preside over the House Floor as the House debates and votes on H.R. 8373, the Right to Contraception Act, a bill co-led by Jacobs to codify the right to birth control into federal law later this week.
In addition to co-leading H.R. 8373 and being an original cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, Jacobs introduced the My Body, My Data Act (H.R. 8111, S. 4434) with Sen. Mazie Hirono and Sen. Ron Wyden, which would create a new national standard to protect personal reproductive health data. She is also a co-sponsor of the Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act, legislation to expand insurance coverage for the full range of reproductive and fertility health care.
Jacobs has publicly shared her personal experience freezing her eggs and about her efforts to expand fertility and reproductive health care, according to the press release.
