Dr. Caitlin Bernard who provided abortion to Ohio girl to attend State of the Union
Dr. Caitlin Bernard, the Indianapolis OB/GYN who overnight became a national figure in the abortion debate, will attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union Address to Congress on Thursday.
Bernard provided care to a 10-year-old Columbus rape victim who had to travel from Ohio to Indiana for an abortion.
She'll be the guest of California Rep. Judy Chu, a Democrat representing Los Angeles County.
Though White House officials have not disclosed what the president will address, many expect him to talk about reproductive rights among a host of issues like the war in Gaza and immigration.
"Patients must be able to make these personal and sometimes complicated decisions and doctors must be able to offer this care without interference from powerful people who are motivated by politics or ideology," Bernard wrote in a statement. "We need bold, immediate change to protect and expand access to reproductive care, and I look forward to hearing from President Biden about his plans to take this important action for patients and providers.”
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Shortly after the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Bernard shared with IndyStar an anecdote about providing abortion care to a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost initially questioned the validity of the account. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, on national television, called into question Bernard's integrity and whether she properly reported the abuse. A state board later found she did. The fallout took more than a year: Bernard filed and later dropped a civil lawsuit, the Indiana Medical Licensing Board decided she violated privacy laws, and the state Supreme Court disciplined Rokita for his comments on Fox News.
Meanwhile, Indiana lawmakers passed a law banning most abortions, becoming the first in the nation to sign restrictions into law following the U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Chu said she and House Democrats stand with Bernard.
“Through their Dobbs decision, the MAGA Justices on the Supreme Court accelerated the extremist right’s march to undermine all our reproductive freedoms and implement a nationwide abortion ban," she said, "but courageous physicians like Dr. Bernard remain on the frontlines of our health care system to provide medical and abortion care to Americans who need it."
Timeline: An Indiana doctor spoke up about a 10-year-old's abortion. Here's what happened since
Biden's address is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EST Thursday.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Dr. Caitlin Bernard to attend State of the Union address
