Gov. Hochul on Louisiana Extradition Order: I Will Never Send a Doctor in ‘Harm’s Way,’ ‘Ripple Effect of Overturning Roe v. Wade’

EXCERPT:

HOCHUL: "We put this in place as soon as we heard about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I needed to protect our doctors because telemedicine is the number one reason people can get abortion pills, and two thirds of all abortions are now by pills, and they’ve been approved by the FDA for 20 years. It’s safe. We have a doctor who’s trying to help someone in another state who’s been denied the right of control over her own body, just doing what her oath requires her to do, and now she’s treated like a criminal. It was not a tough decision for me, Rachel. I said, 'No and hell no.' I will never, ever send this person into harm’s way to stand for 15 years of possible jail time for just being a doctor. And that’s what our country has come to. This is the ripple effect of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the stacking of the Supreme Court under the last Trump Administration. My mother’s generation fought for these rights. My generation was able to take them for granted. And they’re not there for my daughter’s generation? My God, we’ve got to stand up and fight and let these women know. And I’m sorry for the sisters in these states where they’re being repressed, but we should not allow government-mandated pregnancies. That’s what happens when women don’t have control of their own bodies. So, we’re always proud to stand up for women’s rights here in the state of New York."