San Francisco – Today, Hillary Rodham Clinton endorsed the Yes on Proposition 1 campaign, joining with reproductive health care leaders to discuss the significance of adding the right to an abortion directly into the California State Constitution.
“We have been faced with a dark reality, as millions of women were abruptly left without access to essential health care overnight, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,” said Hillary Rodham Clinton. “Leaders in California took immediate action, because they know how important it is to show the rest of the nation that abortion is a fundamental right. I’m proud to stand with the ‘Yes on Prop 1’ campaign and look forward to the momentum that this will carry for the rest of the country.”
Prop 1 will protect peoples’ fundamental right to control their own body and make their own decisions about their own reproductive healthcare, by explicitly adding the right to abortion and the right to use contraceptives into the California Constitution.
“Californians have the opportunity to say loud and clear with Prop 1 – we will not go backward,” said California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. “We are so grateful to have been joined by Secretary Clinton today for this important discussion about the need to add abortion rights to our State Constitution; her lifelong commitment to reproductive health care access will keep us moving toward Election Day. As we look ahead to November, it’s more important than ever that voters turn out and vote Yes on Proposition 1 to protect abortion rights for generations to come.”
“We can and must build a future where all Americans—no matter who they are, where they live, or what they believe—have the freedom to make their own decisions about whether to start or grow a family. There’s no denying we have a long, daunting road ahead. But while the stakes are high, so is the energy of this movement. Voters are fired up and ready to vote for reproductive freedom in November,” said Mini Timmaraju, President of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “I am thankful for our partners and allies in this fight – like California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, our incredible partners working with us on the California Future of Abortion Council, and our NARAL members. Together, we are working arm in arm to fight back for freedom.”
Proposition 1 is consistent with existing state rights to privacy and equal protection and would ensure that regardless of who or what party controls the government or the courts in the future, a person’s right to an abortion is protected in California.
“We are incredibly excited to have Secretary Clinton supporting the Yes On Prop 1 campaign, and using her voice to not just further awareness but continue her decades long advocacy for human rights, including abortion rights,” said Jodi Hicks, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and Co-Chair of the Yes on Prop 1 campaign. “As we approach the final weeks, our campaign is full steam ahead, talking to folks across the state — meeting them where they are — to make sure they know their rights are explicitly on the ballot. Having Secretary Clinton’s support continues that momentum, and our efforts of not taking a single vote for granted.”
