SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Reproductive Justice, Executive Order Threats & Speaking Truth to Power
Written by Becky Martin, AMSA Senior Manager of Reproductive Health Advocacy
Last week AMSA members and allies gathered in Washington DC for the 75th annual convention to share their research, network with friends and colleagues, learn from presenters, partners, and exhibitors, and meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Stay tuned for photos, posters and more from FP4Change 2025 in our next Repro eNews!
At AMSA, we believe that abortion services are a vital component of reproductive health care; that physicians who provide abortion care are essential to our communities; and that their practice should be legally protected and available to all in need regardless of how much they earn, who they work for, or what state they live in. Our Reproductive Health Project upholds the Reproductive Justice framework.
At the core of Reproductive Justice is the belief that all women have:
the right to have children;
the right to not have children and;
the right to nurture the children we have in a safe and healthy environment.
While we’ve been at convention, Executive Actions from the White House turned toward healthcare and higher education, further impacting our rights clearly articulated in this framework and within our Constitution. Here is some of the good, bad, and frankly unfathomable news from recent headlines:
BAD NEWS
HHS Cuts Funding for NIH’s Largest and Longest Study of Women’s Health — Since the early 1990s, this research has been critical for understanding women’s health and aging – MedPage Today
GOOD NEWS
After criticism, HHS reverses plan to cut funds for a landmark study on women’s health – CNN
UNFATHOMABLE NEWS
Trump’s Team Ponders How to Make Women Have More Babies. One Idea Was Part of Hitler and Stalin’s Playbook – People Magazine
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BAD NEWS
Trump targets college accreditation process in new executive order – CNN
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- Deeper Dives:
- Reforming Accreditation to Strengthen Higher Education – White House Executive Order
- Letter Sent to Harvard – US Departments of Education, Health & Human Services, and General Services Administration
- Deeper Dives:
GOOD NEWS
Harvard won’t comply with demands from Trump administration:
Changes pushed by government ‘unmoored from the law,’ Garber says. ‘The University will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.’ – The Harvard Gazette
Deeper Dive: The Promise of American Higher Education – Harvard President Open Letter
MORE GOOD NEWS
Over 150 US university presidents sign letter decrying Trump administration:
Statement signed by Harvard, Princeton and Brown leaders denounces White House’s ‘undue government intrusion’ – The Guardian
EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS
College presidents sign letter of ‘moral courage’ and condemn Trump’s actions – WGBH News
Big Ten university faculties push for defense compact against Trump:
The proposed NATO-like alliance for the 18 schools would allow them to share resources in case the president targets one of their members – Washington Post
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BAD NEWS
Trump threatens Harvard’s tax-exempt status after freezing $2bn funding – BBC News
GOOD NEWS
Harvard files lawsuit against Trump administration:
Filing argues freeze of research funding violates First Amendment, laws, procedures – The Harvard Gazette
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- Deeper Dives:
- Inside Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration – NPR
- The Cost of Defunding Harvard:
If you or someone you love has cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or diabetes, you have likely benefited from the university’s federally funded discoveries in care and treatment by Atul Gawande, MD – The New Yorker
- Deeper Dives:
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In closing, here are 3 recommendations for this tumultuous time:
1) Don’t be overwhelmed by all the Executive Orders coming out of this White House, challenges are underway and Courts are overruling many, many of them already. Know that we have seen and overcome similar actions by the likes of allegation slinging “communist” hunter Sen. Joseph McCarthy and other America First zealots. We can again protect our democracy and our civil rights by turning away from facism and authoritarian rule.
2) Connect with friends and allies, build community, and speak out when and where it is safe for you to do so (the Repro Project can help and has resources to share, email rhp@amsa.org)
3) Watch and share this PBS NewsHour interview with Nobel Peace Prize laureate and journalist Maria Ressa about her book, “How To Stand Up To A Dictator: The Fight for Our Future,” that details her experiences speaking truth to power under the autocratic regime of President Duterte in the Philippines, and parallels between the Philippines and the U.S. under President Trump;
and, listen to and share this musical reminder from Woody Guthrie as done by the Resistance Revival Chorus with Rhiannon Giddens
“All You Fascists Bound To Lose”
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*Note: this Spotlight is included in AMSA Reproductive Health Project eNews #43 Reproductive Justice, Executive Order Threats & Speaking Truth to Power – April 26 2025
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