Williamson discusses federal travel funding bill with WPR

In an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio, UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Associate Director Amy Williamson, MPP, shares context around a new bill proposed by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) that would provide federal funding for grants to support abortion-related travel.

The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act would fund grants to support travel, child care, and logistics costs that can accrue when people have to travel to other states to access abortion care. Williamson discussed the extensive barriers people encountered when seeking abortion care, even before the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade:

“She said even before Roe ended, it was difficult for many abortion seekers to raise the funds needed for the procedure, as well as any necessary childcare and time off work. The added requirement of traveling to another state makes it all the more difficult, she said.

"We know that some pregnant Wisconsinites are traveling hundreds of miles to other states at great expense and difficulty in their lives to access the care they need, or they remain pregnant when they do not want to be," Williamson said.”

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