Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Supreme Court's historic Roe v. Wade decision.

That decision marked a cornerstone of equality and freedom for which American women had fought for generations. The decision empowered women to make their own decisions about their reproductive health and protected them from unwarranted government intrusion into their personal, private decisions.

I know firsthand how hard it was to secure the right to choose for women, and I know how hard we will have to fight to maintain this right. I was active on this issue in 1973 when the case was decided, and I have continued to be so since coming to Congress in 1992. I fought to give military women the right to pay for abortions in military hospitals, and I have served on the board of Planned Parenthood of California, all in an attempt to keep secure the essential right of a woman to make her own choices about her reproductive health.

But, 30 years later, we still live in a time in which a woman's right to choose is in danger of being diminished or reversed. Anti-choice advocates now control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives and have indicated they intend to launch a legislative assault on Roe v. Wade. President Bush has made clear his intent to nominate anti-choice justices to all branches of the judiciary. And, the retirement of just one Supreme Court justice may tip the court from pro-choice to anti-choice; from protecting women's health to endangering it.

As such, it is now more important than ever for Americans to protect the rights that women gained as a result of Roe v. Wade. Freedom of choice is essential for women and their health, and as we work to make the number of abortions rarer through improved health education and family planning services, on this anniversary, it is important that we remember the struggles women faced before Roe v. Wade. Indeed, it is somewhat bittersweet that so many women today cannot recall the times in which abortions were not legal. Many do not know women who became ill or died from unsafe, illegal procedures. It is our duty to remind them of the danger of returning of that era.

I join my colleagues in urging Americans to fight to protect the right to choose, to uphold Roe v. Wade, and respect reproductive freedom for all women across the nation.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I lost a dear friend and law school classmate and Californians lost a true champion of public interest and civil liberties. Joe Remcho died tragically in a helicopter accident. He will be sorely missed. I met Joe in law school 37 years ago. We became quick and close friends. After law school we took different paths, but both reveled in politics, public interest, and public policy. Joe became an acknowledged expert in first amendment, election law, and civil liberties. As a rookie lawyer, he represented soldiers in Saigon during the Vietnam War and later worked as a staff attorney and lobbyist for the ACLU in San Francisco and Sacramento.

He became an advisor to many public officials, including California Governor Gray Davis, Senator Dianne Feinstein, and me and was sought after for his skill, his decency, and his common sense. His advocacy greatly influenced the redistricting process in California, and he brought numerous cases involving voter initiatives, term limits, and campaign finance.

Legal titan that he was, I will remember Joe as quiet and self- effacing, a truly decent individual who eschewed headlines and publicity. He always had time to give advice to his friends, often pro bono. Recently, he helped me with a small, but important, family issue.

People like Joe are rare, but their impact great. Joe Remcho's legacy will inspire young lawyers for years to come. To his family, friends, clients, and other classmates, my family extends our deepest condolences.