Iowa Democrats Issue Joint Statement Marking Two Years under Republican Abortion Ban
DES MOINES – Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, Iowa Senate Democratic Leader Janice Weiner, and Iowa House Democratic Leader Brian Meyer issued the following joint statement regarding the second anniversary of Iowa Republicans’ near-total abortion ban, which will be marked on July 29th:
“We’ve seen it over and over again: Iowa Republicans will stop at nothing to rip health care away from Iowans.
It’s now been two years since Iowa’s near-total abortion ban went into effect.
Iowa women and families now have fewer health care options, travel longer distances, and face more barriers to accessing care.
Iowa is facing a growing OB-GYN and maternity care shortage. Today, residents in one-third of our 99 counties do not have access to maternity care. Forty-four hospitals have closed their labor and delivery units since 2000, including the recently announced closures in Council Bluffs and Clinton. As we’ve seen, when access to reproductive health care is restricted, entire communities can lose access to maternal and reproductive health services.
Instead of addressing Iowa’s growing health care challenges, Iowa Republicans eliminated telehealth access during the 2026 legislative session, cutting off one of the only reproductive health care options available to many Iowans. Iowa already has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, but Iowa Republicans are signaling they intend to go even further.
Iowa Democrats stand together when we say that every Iowan deserves the freedom to make their own personal healthcare decisions. We will continue fighting to protect access to reproductive health care and ensure every Iowan can get the care they need, when and where they need it.”
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