Senator Murray Hosts Spokane Roundtable Ahead of Roe Anniversary

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the chair of the Senate health committee, held a virtual roundtable to hear directly from patients and providers in Spokane on the importance of Roe v. Wade, and the urgent need to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) in order to protect the right to abortion at the federal level. Senator Murray was joined by Dr. Denise Bayuszik, Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho, Lili Navarrete, Director of Planned Parenthood’s Raiz program, and Emily Marven, a local patient.

During the roundtable, Senator Murray discussed the current attacks on Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion in the courts, particularly the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which the Supreme Court has agreed to hear this year following Republicans naming three justices to the Court on narrow margins in the past 5 years. Senator Murray also highlighted WHPA, which she helped introduce in June 2021 to safeguard Roe and ensure the constitutional right to abortion isn’t undermined by local abortion bans and restrictions. Dr. Bayuszik, Lili Navarrete, Emily Marven highlighted the importance of protections on reproductive care, and the need to codify them into law, as well as the dire consequences that any move to overturn Roe v. Wade would have for patients across the entire Pacific Northwest.