A Florida woman — who was denied an abortion last year and forced to carry a baby who had no kidneys to term — fought back tears Tuesday when asked about the state's impending six-week abortion ban.Deborah Dorbert had given testimony about her experience at a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hearing in Broward County, Florida.
“Thank you, Ms. Dorbert, for your testimony here today, really taking the pain and doing all that you can to turn it into progress for the people of Florida. Your testimony was profound, it was powerful, it was poignant,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said at the hearing.
Jeffries then asked Dorbert whether she had a message for Floridians after the state’s Supreme Court allowed a six-week abortion ban to take effect May 1:
“The women of Florida here, of course, now face a cruel, a dangerous, and an extreme six-week abortion ban. What is your message to the women and to the people of Florida?” Jeffries asked.
“I don't know,” Dorbert said, wiping away tears.
“Well, thank you. Thank you for your presence. Thank you for your powerful testimony,” Jeffries continued. “It has been personally moving to me, to, I think, all of us; speaks for itself in terms of what has been unnecessarily and cruelly inflicted upon you, your son, your husband, and your family, and why it's so important for us to make sure that all of us collectively do everything that we can to ensure that the amendment that will be before the people of Florida restores a woman's freedom to make her own reproductive health care decisions in November.”
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday allowed a six-week ban to take effect in the state in May while simultaneously allowing a proposed constitutional amendment, that would allow voters to overturn the ban, to appear on the November ballot.
