Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who has quickly become a national figure in the abortion debate, will attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to Congress on Thursday.
The Indianapolis OB/GYN will be the guest of California Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat who represents Los Angeles County.
Though White House officials have not disclosed what the president will address, many expect him to talk about reproductive rights among a host of issues, including the war in Gaza and immigration.
“Patients must be able to make these personal and sometimes complicated decisions and doctors must be able to offer this care without interference from powerful people who are motivated by politics or ideology,” Bernard said in a statement. “We need bold, immediate change to protect and expand access to reproductive care, and I look forward to hearing from President Biden about his plans to take this important action for patients and providers.”
Who is Dr. Caitlin Bernard?
Shortly after the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, Bernard told IndyStar about providing abortion care to a 10-year-old rape victim.
On national television, Attorney General Todd Rokita questioned Bernard’s integrity and whether she had properly reported the abuse. A state board later determined that she did. The fallout lasted more than a year: Bernard filed and later dropped a civil lawsuit, the Indiana Medical Licensing Board found she violated privacy laws, and the state Supreme Court disciplined Rokita for his comments on Fox News.
Meanwhile, Indiana lawmakers passed legislation prohibiting most abortions, making the state the first in the country to enact restrictions in response to the Supreme Court decision.
Chu said she and other House Democrats support Bernard.
Bernard will be joined by several other guests known for discussing reproductive health issues, including Kate Cox
“Through their Dobbs decision, the MAGA Justices on the Supreme Court accelerated the extremist right’s march to undermine all our reproductive freedoms and implement a nationwide abortion ban,” she said, “but courageous physicians like Dr. Bernard remain on the frontlines of our health care system to provide medical and abortion care to Americans who need it.”
Bernard wrote an opinion piece for USA TODAY about the consequences that reproductive healthcare workers face in states where women are denied treatment for life-threatening pregnancy complications.
Bernard stated that doctors are forced to stand by and watch patients denied basic health care on a daily basis. She stated that attacks on abortion providers in states such as Missouri and Tennessee have previously resulted in murder. She also stated that, while she may not be the first post-Roe physician targeted by politicians, she will not be the last.
Bernard will be joined by several other guests known for discussing reproductive health issues, including Kate Cox, a mother whose attempt to have an abortion in Texas drew national attention to the state’s near-total abortion ban.
In a press release issued on Wednesday, Senate Democrats stated that several members of the caucus will invite guests to discuss various reproductive health issues raised by the Roe decision.