Reproductive freedom is a fundamental human right. Yet since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, millions of Americans including people right here in the Midwest have lost access to safe, legal abortion care. Illinois has become a crucial safe haven for those seeking care, but our neighbors in Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana and beyond are now living under draconian bans. This isn’t just unjust, it’s dangerous. Women’s lives are literally on the line. As the oldest brother of three little sisters, and as someone deeply committed to justice, I am outraged that our generation has fewer rights over our own bodies than our parents did. Let me be clear: I trust people to make the best decisions for their own bodies and families. Politicians, especially a bunch of mostly male legislators have NO business controlling personal medical decisions. In Congress, I will fight relentlessly to restore and expand reproductive rights, and ensure that everyone, no matter where they live or how much money they make, can access the full spectrum of reproductive health care without shame, obstacles, or fear.

In Congress, I will: 
• Codify Roe v. Wade into federal law. We need a national law that guarantees the right to abortion care across America, regardless of which party or judge is in power. I will vote for and champion legislation that restores the protections of Roe. This means the federal government would prohibit states from banning abortion before fetal viability (and always protect abortions necessary for the health or life of the mother). Your rights shouldn’t depend on your zip code. We must ensure that no Supreme Court decision and no extremist state legislature can ever take away the right to choose again. 

• Repeal the Hyde Amendment. For decades, the Hyde Amendment has unfairly barred Medicaid from covering abortion services, effectively denying abortion access to low-income women (who are disproportionately women of color). This is discriminatory and wrong on every level. The ability to exercise your rights shouldn’t depend on how much money you have. I will work to permanently repeal Hyde so that public insurance can cover all pregnancy-related care including abortion. Reproductive healthcare is healthcare, full stop. 

• Expand funding for reproductive healthcare clinics. I will fight to increase Title X funding and other federal support for clinics that provide contraception, STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, prenatal care, and other critical services. These community health centers and Planned Parenthood clinics are lifelines – especially in rural areas where they may be the only reproductive health providers around. We need more resources for them, not politically motivated cuts. Every person should have local access to affordable birth control and reproductive care to stay healthy and prevent unwanted pregnancies. 

• Invest in maternal health and end racial disparities. The U.S. maternal mortality rate is a crisis – especially for Black and brown mothers, who face unacceptably higher risks. I’ll push to fully implement the Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a package of bills that invest in community maternal health programs, improve data collection, and address social factors like housing and nutrition. I’ll also fight to make the postpartum Medicaid extension (to 12 months after birth) a permanent requirement nationwide. No mother should die from preventable causes in childbirth or postpartum. Let’s support midwives, doulas, and expanded obstetric care in underserved areas to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for everyone. 

• Protect doctors, patients, and helpers from criminalization. The new abortion bans around the country are not only cruel. Some are trying to criminalize doctors and health care professionals for providing care, or even punish friends for helping someone travel to a safe state. I will support federal protections for any person who provides or assists in lawful reproductive care. Doctors should not fear jail for doing their jobs, and no one should be prosecuted for helping a friend in need. I will also back legislation to ensure that medication abortion (which is safe and effective) remains accessible by mail, and that the FDA’s authority to approve drugs like mifepristone is upheld against politically motivated attacks. 

No one should have to cross state lines to get healthcare. No one should have to fear jail for seeking or providing medical care. I trust women. I trust pregnant people. I trust families to make the personal decisions that are right for them. In Congress, I’ll be an unbreakable wall against any effort to strip away reproductive rights. Instead, we will expand access to abortion and reproductive services and finally treat these rights for what they are: fundamental freedoms.