EMILYs List Statement on Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ Radical Anti-Choice Record

For Immediate Release

June 19, 2018

EMILYs List Statement on Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ Radical Anti-Choice Record

WASHINGTON, D.C. –   Last week, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers made a speech at an anti-choice convention, during which she called for the end of Roe v. Wade. Christina Reynolds, EMILYs List vice president of communications, released the following statement in response: 

“From advocating for the end of Roe v. Wade to working to criminalize abortion, Cathy McMorris Rodgers has put her personal ideology ahead of protecting women's health care. She recently doubled down on her anti-choice record, celebrating the recent proposed Title X rule change that could force clinics across the 5th District to shut their doors and strip quality, affordable health care away from scores of Washington State women. It’s shameful that McMorris Rodgers wants to deny women in her home state basic health care services, and only underscores the need to flip this seat. Washington women deserve better, and EMILYs List is proud to stand with Lisa Brown, who will be a champion for them in Congress.”

BACKGROUND: 

The Title X rule change could affect at least 12 clinics in the 5th District, including clinics in Spokane, Walla Walla, Pullman, Chewelah, Ione, Springdale, Colville, Orient, Nine Mile Falls, Loon Lake, and Northport. 

In 2016, federally funded Title X providers served nearly 85,000 women in Washington state. 

EMILYs List, the nation’s largest resource for women in politics, has raised over $500 million to support pro-choice Democratic women candidates – making them one of the most successful political organizations ever. Our grassroots community of over five million members helps Democratic women wage competitive campaigns – and win. We recruit and train candidates, support strong campaigns, research the issues that impact women and families, and turn out women voters. Since our founding in 1985, we have helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors, and over 800 to state and local office. Forty percent of the candidates EMILYs List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color. Since the 2016 election, thousands of women and counting have reached out to us about running for office. To harness this energy, EMILYs List has launched Run to Win, an unprecedented effort to get more women to run at the local, state, and national levels.