Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that abortion bans allow corporations to exploit workers at a House Oversight Committee hearing Thursday.
The representative said abortion bans force poor and working class women and families into economic hardships, compelling them to work two or three jobs “against their will.”
“Abortion is an economic issue,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Forcing poor and working class people to give birth against their will, against their consent, against their ability to provide for themselves or a child is a profound economic issue and it’s certainly a way to keep a workforce basically conscripted to large-scale employers and employers to work more against their will, to take second, third jobs against their desire and their own autonomy.”
“And so the idea that abortion and access to abortion is somehow not a profound and central economic and class issue and class struggle is certainly something that a person whose never had to contend with the ability to carry a child — it belies that perspective and it’s disappointing to see,” she continued.
Despite her swipe at corporations, many large companies are actually helping their employees seek abortions following the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Citigroup, Apple and Texas-based Match Group are all helping cover travel costs for women crossing state lines to seek abortions. (RELATED: ‘A Lot Cheaper To Get Rid Of Them’: Tucker Carlson Says Corporations Are Telling People They Can’t Have Children)
Companies in Georgia even wrote a letter to voters arguing that the state’s abortion ban is a threat to the economy and “threatens our ability to do business.”
Ocasio-Cortez also said during the hearing that anyone who claim climate change is not real and COVID-19 is just the flu have no basis to say that “transgender people are not real.”
She then transitioned to questioning Dr. Bhavik Kumer, Planned Parenthood’s medical director for primary and transgender care, about methotrexate treatments for various conditions including ectopic pregnancies, cancer and arthritis. She used this example to argue that lawmakers should not outlaw “abortion-induced drugs” when they are used to treat several medical conditions.
“Now, those same people who have cancer, arthritis and lupus have to prove that they are not using those medications for abortion, which then, of course, delves into gross violation of privacy issues that create real conflict for people,” she said. “Is this something that you are seeing Dr. Kumar?”
“Yes, I have heard from people in Texas who have been using methotrexate for other medical conditions and are not able to access it at the pharmacy,” he responded. “Some people have also gone to the pharmacy to get their medication and have been asked about pregnancy tests or if they’re using any kind of contraception, which, again, is a violation of their privacy and shouldn’t be asked. They’ve been getting this medication for some time.”
Ocasio-Cortez then revealed that she uses an intrauterine device (IUD), which creates a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, and asked Kumar if there are laws outlawing care for this condition.
Kumar said there are no laws that he is aware of banning the removal of an ectopic pregnancy, but that some laws have vague language which prompts some physicians not to perform the procedure. He then claimed to know of a woman who left Texas to get treatment for her ectopic pregnancy.