(Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement laying out a path forward after Senate Republicans blocked the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) in a 49-51 vote.
“Republicans think women should have fewer rights. They want this generation of women-my daughter, my granddaughters-to have fewer rights than I did. How dare they."
“Women will remember this vote. They will not forget it tomorrow, or next week, or come November. Neither will Democrats: because we will not stop fighting. We have a plan-and we will be tireless in our fight to protect women’s rights:
“Here’s my message to Republicans: women will not forget your cruelty. I ran for the Senate because of the Supreme Court. I ran for the Senate because I watched Anita Hill’s testimony where it was plain as day that women’s voices weren’t being heard. Where a woman was bombarded with offensive questions-from a Committee full of men-and then a man-who didn’t answer questions on Roe v. Wade and who didn’t even bother to listen to Ms. Hill’s testimony-ascended to the highest court in the land to make decisions for women all across the country. And we’re seeing how that’s playing out right now.
“That just wasn’t okay with me. So I took the anger, the frustration, the drive that I felt-and I made it to the United States Senate. So mark my words: women won’t just remember-they will be out in the streets, registering to vote, running for office. They will be ceaseless in their activism. I know because I was one of those women back in ’92. I’m a Senator now: and I’m leading this fight. We are going to make our voices and our votes heard-and we are going to win because there is no other option."
