Black women applaud Biden’s first budget and his support for reproductive justice

Statement by In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda President and CEO Marcela Howell  

WASHINGTON — Today, President Joe Biden submitted his first budget to Congress. Marcela Howell, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, issued the following statement in response to the proposal and the president’s address:  

“We are encouraged that reproductive justice was front and center in the budget. This is a historic moment as Congress receives a presidential budget without the racist Hyde Amendment that discriminated for more than 40 years against poor people, especially people of color, who receive health care coverage through Medicaid. This budget also allows Washington D.C.’s local government to fund abortion with its own tax dollars — respecting D.C. voters and the District’s autonomy. 

“Kudos also go to President Biden for funding important programs to address racial equity and economic security. We applaud the proposed investments in infrastructure and job creation, affordable childcare and workforce training, education (including universal pre-K, free community college and increased funding to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), paid leave, environmental justice, children and families (including food programs and expanding the child tax credit), and health care (including improved Medicaid, Medicare and Affordable Care Act coverage). 

“During his campaign, President Biden promised his commitment to reproductive health, rights and justice. His budget lives up to that promise. For the first time in decades, a president supports funding of all reproductive health care — including birth control and abortion. More importantly, the president supports funding a full array of programs that will support Black women, femmes, girls and gender-expansive people so that we may choose when and if to have children and also have the financial support and resources to raise our families with dignity.  

“We applaud this budget and call upon Congress to pass it.”  

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure reproductive justice for all women, femmes and girls. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc. SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.