TAMPA, FL – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor issued the following statement on the second anniversary of the reversal of Roe v. Wade:

“Two years ago was a dark day for women across Florida and across the country as Roe vs. Wade was overturned by extreme judges who were appointed to the Supreme Court by Donald Trump. The fundamental right of women to access abortion care if they need it, which was the law of the land for 50 years, was callously stripped away, and Trump brags about it.

“Women, families and doctors are left to grapple with cruel and costly abortion bans like the one passed here in the state of Florida. Harsh laws and bans passed by MAGA extremists also impact women who are pregnant or wish to be pregnant. In Florida, due to the six-week ban passed by the GOP-controlled legislature and signed by Governor DeSantis, women who experience complications during pregnancy have not been able to get the care that they need, and some have been forced to endure very traumatic situations.”

“I know doctors who have left the state because of the abortion ban and medical students who are choosing to train elsewhere. And that impacts everyone because we want talented doctors here in Florida who are experienced in the full range of health care and complications. In Congress, the MAGA extremist wing is emboldened, and they have access to contraceptives, IVF and emergency services in their sights.

“It makes me angry that these decisions are forced upon us by mostly Republican men who are putting women's lives at risk and turning doctors and nurses into criminals. President Biden and Democrats in Congress are tirelessly working to reinstate Roe vs. Wade, enact the Women's Health Protection Act into law, and to protect access to contraceptives, IVF and emergency women's care. You can count on me to continue working tirelessly to ensure that women have the right to make their own personal private decisions about their bodies, families, and futures.”