CA Rep. Jackie Speier Among 17 Lawmakers Arrested In Abortion Protest

SAN MATEO, CA — U.S. Capitol Police arrested 17 lawmakers Tuesday afternoon, including Rep. Jackie Speier, for blocking traffic while protesting for abortion access outside the U.S. Supreme Court.

Police tweeted around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday that 35 people were arrested for crowding, obstructing or incommoding.

"That arrest number includes 17 Members of Congress," police said. The demonstrations were held near First Street, NE.

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was among those arrested. In a video posted to her Twitter account, an officer led Ocasio-Cortez away from the protest in handcuffs.

The San Mateo congresswoman posted this video of the rally on her Facebook page.

“Proud to march with my Democratic colleagues including ⁦Democratic Women's Caucus members, and get arrested for women’s rights, abortion rights, the rights for people to control their own bodies and the future and our democracy!” Speier wrote on the post.

“Bans off our bodies! We won't go back!”

Staffers for Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey tweeted she, too was arrested. She was released about an hour after her arrest, processed, and released, her office said.

Fellow reps. Carolyn Maloney of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Alma Adams of North Carolina were also arrested, their offices confirmed.

The following lawmakers were among those arrested, according to CNN:

Rep. Jackie Speier of California
Rep. Carolyn Malone of New York
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York
Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota
Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts
Rep. Andy Levin of Michigan
Rep. Sara Jacobs of California
Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts
Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York
Rep. Barbara Lee of California
Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri
Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois
Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania

Speier represents California’s 14th District, which stretches from the southern portion of San Francisco through San Mateo County to East Palo Alto.

She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee, and on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where also she serves as chair of the Strategic Technologies and Advanced Research Subcommittee and serves on the Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee.

Additionally, she serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, where she serves on the Subcommittees on National Security and Economic and Consumer Policy.