Sen. Markey Invites MA Abortion Rights Advocate To State Of The Union

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey announced Monday that he will bring Massachusetts resident and abortion rights advocate Kate Dineen to Tuesday's State of the Union address.

Markey, a Democrat, said he invited Dineen — who was forced to travel out of state to have an abortion — to underscore the importance of codifying rights into law and ensuring reproductive decisions throughout pregnancy remain between a patient and doctor.

In July 2021, Dineen was 33 weeks pregnant when she learned that her son had suffered a catastrophic stroke in utero.

According to the Boston Globe, the state law at the time —which Dineen helped to change in July 2022 — meant doctors in the state, and in Dineen's case at Mass. General, did not have to perform an abortion after 24 weeks.

Instead, the hospital convened a committee of obstetricians, pediatricians, nurses, legal counsel, and others to review whether a pregnancy qualified for termination.

Doctors at Mass .General told Dineen they couldn't perform the procedure if there was a chance the fetus could live outside the womb.

As a result, Dineen was forced to travel 500 miles from Boston to Bethesda, Maryland, and pay upwards of $10,000 dollars out of pocket to receive compassionate abortion care.

As Markey pointed out, Dineen and her husband had the ability to travel hundreds of miles and pay thousands of dollars to terminate the pregnancy, but that is not the case for everyone.

Markey said it is unacceptable for law to "stand in the way of medicine when it should be there to support, honor, and facilitate reproductive choice." That's why Markey is an advocate for the the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify the rights established under Roe v. Wade into federal law.

"No one should ever have to go through the anguish and uncertainty (Dineen) and her husband went through to find care," Markey said. "We are living in dangerous times, manufactured for partisan and misogynistic gain. Extremist Republicans are trying to create a world in which women, LGBTQ+ Americans, young people, and communities of color have fewer rights today than the generation before them. "

Markey continued: "We must fight for a more just and equitable future, and that includes a full continuum of reproductive care, including abortion care, when and where it's needed. It is an injustice and an indignity that any person would be forced to travel hundreds of miles, spend thousands of dollars, and be away from their family in order to terminate a pregnancy."

In addition to the Women's Health Protection Act, Markey also supports The Judiciary Act, legislation that would expand the number of justices on the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 13, which could lead to a roll back of the the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

"It is an honor to join Sen. Markey as his guest at this year's State of the Union and to spotlight America’s abortion access crisis," Dineen said.

Dineen added: "I am proud of our work to safeguard and expand reproductive health care in Massachusetts, and we cannot stop fighting until every person across our country has access to compassionate abortion care throughout pregnancy, free from cost, travel or legal barriers."

President Joe Biden will deliver his second State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The speech will be broadcast live on all major U.S. TV networks.