Maryland has become abortion rights ‘anchor,’ US Health and Human Services secretary says

Maryland has become an “anchor” for abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade decision in 2022 that had made abortion a constitutional right, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Friday.

“Everyone needs a safe harbor. You can’t swim forever,” Becerra said during a video conference call with Gov. Wes Moore, state officials, physicians and others that was held three days before the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

“You need a place where you know you’ll be secure. Maryland has been one of those anchors.”

People from around the country have traveled to Maryland for abortions since the court — in the June 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision — shifted the onus to states to decide whether such services are legal.

“We’re seeing patients from out of state — Florida and Tennessee come to mind,” Dr. Jessica Lee, a primary care physician at the University of Maryland Medical System, said during the call.

Since Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is a Southwest Airlines hub, “people find it cheaper to fly to us than to even drive to other states, so we are really becoming a safe haven for patients in those other states that cannot see care,” Lee said.

The event was among a series the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, scheduled in the past week to show its support for abortion access. The conference had been scheduled for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, but was moved online because of Friday’s snowstorm.

As they do every year since the Roe v. Wade decision, thousands of anti-abortion marchers gathered in Washington during the snowstorm Friday for the annual “March for Life” rally. Abortion rights advocates planned a series of “Women’s March” events around the country for Saturday.

Moore signed several abortion-related initiatives last year. Among them was a measure protecting abortion care providers in Maryland from criminal, legal and administrative penalties when they perform procedures on patients who travel to the state for care from states with bans or restrictions.

“We knew we had to act fast,” after the Dobbs decision, Moore said during the call. “And we also knew that this was going to be an opportunity to show what can happen at the state level to be able to counteract the challenges we are seeing from the Supreme Court.”

Moore and other leading state Democrats have promoted a measure under which Marylanders will vote during the November election on whether to affirm abortion rights in the state constitution.

Becerra said Maryland has been a leader on abortion and generally ensuring that people can afford health care. “Amen to have Maryland on the team,” he said.