WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday, January 22, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, released the following statement on the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

'Forty-two years ago today the Supreme Court issued a constitutional guarantee in Roe v. Wade to women across the country, affirming their fundamental right to make their own choices about their own bodies. Roe v. Wade was a critical step forward for equality and opportunity for women across America.

'It is deeply disappointing that decades later, Republicans in Congress and in state governments continue to push for policies that threaten the basic rights of every woman. Last night, in fact, House Republican leaders were forced to pull a bill from the floor that was so extreme and harmful some women in their own caucus withdrew their support, despite voting for the same measure last year. Unfortunately, rather than stepping back from their attacks, House Republicans doubled down and replaced that bill with yet another damaging legislative threat to women's health access, safety and choice.

'In November, Majority Leader McConnell told the American people he was committed to working across the aisle to create jobs and grow the economy. I truly hope this means he will refuse to take up partisan, harmful legislation that would turn back the clock on women's rights and choice. I hope we can all focus on moving forward, not backward, for women and work together to prevent unwanted pregnancies, improve access to preventive health services, and protect the basic premise that a woman's health care decisions are hers alone to make.

'But let me be very clear: if Majority Leader McConnell chooses to go down the partisan path we've seen from Republicans before on women's health, Democrats and women and men across the country will be ready to stand up and fight back. We're not going anywhere, and that's why bills that threaten women's fundamental rights aren't either.'

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