Readout of White House Meeting with State Legislative Leaders on Reproductive Rights

Today, White House Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein and White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Julie Chavez Rodriguez chaired a meeting with state legislative leaders on protecting access to reproductive health care. This important discussion follows the passage of proactive reproductive rights measures in at least 10 states so far in the 2022 legislative session, including in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. These actions to protect and expand access to reproductive health care stand in sharp contrast to a wave of abortion bans and restrictions that have passed in states across the country.

State legislative leaders shared the steps they have taken so far to protect access to abortion, as well as plans to further expand care, and discussed ways the Administration can support state and local efforts. Senior White House officials thanked the leaders for their efforts and underscored their support for state action to strengthen reproductive rights.

State legislative leaders included:

• California Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins
• California Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan
• Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff
• Illinois Senate President Don Harmon
• Illinois Representative Anna Moeller
• Illinois Senator Celina Villanueva
• Illinois Senator Julie Morrison
• Maryland Delegate Ariana Kelly
• New York Senator Liz Krueger
• Oregon Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner
• Oregon House Majority Leader Julie Fahey
• Oregon Representative Andrea Valderrama
• Oregon Senator Deb Patterson
• Washington President Pro Tempore Karen Keiser