U.S. Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Interstate Travel for Abortion Care
On Wednesday, June 12th at 2:00pm, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a subcommittee hearing on the topic of interstate travel for individuals seeking abortion care outside of states with abortion bans.
The hearing introduces the Freedom to Travel for Healthcare Act , which is a bill that “prohibits anyone from interfering with a person’s ability to access out-of-state reproductive health care. (Reproductive health care is defined as medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services related to pregnancy, the termination of a pregnancy, contraception services, and other reproductive care.)”
The bill currently has 40 cosponsors in the Senate.
The meeting starts at 17:29 in the video and can be viewed here.
One notable witness is Lauren Miller, a plaintiff in the case Zurawski v. Texas.
You can listen to Lauren’s entire testimony at 51:04 in the video above.
"My pregnancy was not my own. It belonged to the state."
Lauren’s testimony is one of many powerful statements against the extreme restrictions on women’s reproductive freedom of choice and access to necessary care.
Other notable testimony came from Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide.
Maddow-Zimet stated in his testimony that “now more than ever, access varies widely based on where people live and what resources they have”.
“In 2023, we estimate that approximately 170,000 people have traveled across state lines to access abortion”.
This is more than double the amount of people compared to 2019 or 2020, and is a direct result of the 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Jocelyn Frye also appeared on behalf of the National Partnership of Women and Families, and testified that “access to abortion is essential health care and should be clearly understood as a basic human right, because reproductive freedom is fundamental to upholding the individual autonomy of all women, and their ability to control their own bodies”.
In North Dakota, individuals now must travel sometimes upwards of 700+ miles, depending on where they live and the timeframe needed, to receive abortion care in neighboring states such as Montana and Minnesota, with the closest two abortion care providers located in Moorhead, MN and Billings, MT.
There are several resources available to assist North Dakotans in affording the extensive costs associated with being forced to seek abortion care out of state, including travel, lodging, childcare, and more. The Prairie Abortion Fund is one of North Dakota’s only abortion funding assistance nonprofits, working to help individuals cover costs when seeking care out of state. They work closely with the Red River Women’s Clinic, previously located in Fargo until they were forced to relocate to Moorhead in August of 2022.
Other Midwest-based abortion assistance programs include the Abortion Freedom Fund, the Midwest Access Coalition, Elevated Access, and Indigenous Women Rising.
One of the goals of the Minot Women’s Network is to help further legislative action that protects the ability to access all forms of reproductive care, including the Freedom to Travel for Healthcare Act and similar measures. Alternatively, we also work towards preventing further restrictions from becoming a reality for us in North Dakota, such as the proposed measures that are being introduced in states such as Texas and Idaho.
To find information for individuals seeking abortion care, including support for managing an abortion safely at home, please visit our Resources page.
