Rep. Stansbury Welcomes Vice President Harris to New Mexico, Calls for Action to Codify Abortion Rights Into Law Nationwide
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Today, U.S. Representative Melanie Stansbury (N.M.-01) joined Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to New Mexico. Ahead of Vice President Harris’ discussion on reproductive rights with the governor, Rep. Stansbury echoed their call for immediate action to codify the right to an abortion into law nationwide.
Rep. Stansbury addressed an audience of reproductive health advocates, health care providers, and New Mexico state legislators alongside Senator Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller,University of New Mexico President Garnett Stokes, and HHS Regional Director SimaLadjevardianas she discussed the challenges facing abortion providers in New Mexico, the work of the Biden-Harris administration, and the fight to defend reproductive health care.
“New Mexico is leading the way to protect reproductive rights, and that is why Vice President Harris is here. I am proud to stand alongside Vice President Harris, Governor Lujan Grisham, Senator Luján, Mayor Keller, and local leaders to fight for our right to reproductive healthcare and abortion access,”said Rep. Stansbury. “New Mexico’s action to protect safe and legal abortion offers a clear path forward for the rest of the nation. And, we are only leading the nation because of the countless advocates and health care workers, who have fought for decades to protect reproductive care. Today, I’m standing with our communities and our leadership to call for immediate action at a national level to defend our fundamental right to choice and ensure that essential reproductive healthcare services are available to every community.”
In Congress, Rep. Stansbury voted to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act out of the U.S. House of Representatives, which would establish a federal statutory right for abortion into law. Rep. Stansbury also voted to pass the Right to Contraception Act and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act out of the House of Representatives to protect access to contraception and the right to travel to receive abortion care.
During her service in the New Mexico State Legislature in 2021, Rep. Stansbury was part of the majority that voted to pass legislation to repeal an antiquated abortion ban from the books, protecting access to reproductive care for New Mexicans and communities across the region.