Since the Supreme Court decision that struck down Roe v. Wade last month, Democrats have been proposing various ways to get around state laws banning abortion.
One doctor in California is suggesting abortion providers take to the seas.
Dr. Meg Autry, an obstetrician and gynecologist who is also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco, proposed putting a ship that would house an abortion clinic in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, The Associated Press reported Sunday.
“There’s been an assault on reproductive rights in our country and I’m a lifelong advocate for reproductive health and choice,” Autry said.
“We have to create options and be thoughtful and creative to help people in restrictive states get the health care they deserve,” she said.
Under Autry’s proposal, the ship would provide abortions for women in the first trimester of pregnancy as well as contraception and additional care.
She is raising money for the idea through an organization called Protecting Reproductive Rights of Women Endangered by State Statutes.
Protecting Reproductive Rights of Women Endangered by State Statutes, or PRROWESS, aims to offer surgical abortions to women in states like Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, via a vessel on federal waters. https://t.co/dNI3Esb0nk
— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) July 9, 2022
Five states border the Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Will this plan succeed?
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas all have bans on abortion that have taken effect following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the AP reported.
Meanwhile, Florida has a law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for severely endangered mothers and unborn children with fatal abnormalities.
Autry said her legal team believes licensed providers could perform abortions in federal waters without having to follow state laws. She wants to provide an option for women who live in the surrounding states to abort their unborn children.
“This is closer and faster access for some people, particularly for working people that live in the southernmost part of these states,” Autry said.
This proposal is just the latest in a large list of suggestions from Democrats hoping to provide as many abortion options as possible.
In late June, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told Washington Post reporter Caroline Kitchener she wanted to see abortion clinics set up on federally owned land, including national parks, in states with pro-life laws.
“They could put up tents, have trained personnel — and be there to help people who need it,” Warren said. “It’s time to declare a medical emergency.”
I just spoke with @ewarren, who suggested the Biden administration establish Planned Parenthood outposts on the edges of national parks.
“They could put up tents, have trained personnel — and be there to help people who need it.”
“It’s time to declare a medical emergency.”
— Caroline Kitchener (@CAKitchener) June 27, 2022
In a rally after the Supreme Court decision, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York also demanded, “Open abortion clinics on federal lands in red states right now. Right now!”
ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: “Open abortion clinics on federal lands in red states right now!”
“Right now!” pic.twitter.com/sFvl101mSt
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 28, 2022
As of now, the Biden administration has not shown support for these proposals, and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre warned the proposals could put more women in danger.
“So with this proposal — we understand the proposal is well-intentioned, but here’s the thing: It could actually put women and providers at risk,” Jean-Pierre said according to a White House transcript.
