Baldwin Proposes Federal Travel Funding For Abortion Seekers
But abortion rights advocates say bill unlikely to get through Congress.

The clinic is prepared before patients arrive Friday, May 27, 2022, at Planned Parenthood’s Water Street Health Center in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin has introduced a bill that would provide federal funding grants to pay for travel-related expenses for people seeking abortions. But despite their support for the effort, abortion rights advocates say it’s unlikely to get through Congress, where the House of Representatives will soon be controlled by Republicans.
The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act would set up a grant program for $350 million per year for the next five years, distributing the funds through nonprofits and community organizations that assist abortion seekers.
“For too many, the cost of travel, child care, overnight housing, and time away from work puts safe, comprehensive reproductive care totally out of reach,” Baldwin said in a statement.
Wisconsin and the Midwest have several existing abortion funds, including Midwest Access Coalition, which pays for travel and other logistical costs as opposed to actual abortion procedures.
Alison Dreith, the coalition’s director of strategic partnerships, said the organization has already experienced about double the demand for services than last year.
“This year has just been bananas,” she said.
Before the U.S Supreme Court’s decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the majority of people seeking the organization’s services came from the Midwest. Now, they’re seeing an influx of people from Texas and other southern states who are traveling to Midwestern states like Illinois for abortion services. Many of them can’t afford the procedure itself, to say nothing of the necessary travel expenses, said Dreith.
Amy Williamson is the associate director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, or CORE. 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.
Despite their support for Baldwin’s funding measure, Dreith and Williamson are not hopeful that it will pass.
“I think any reasonable person would read this as extremely unlikely politically, with the change in Congress,” Williamson said.
Listen to the WPR report here.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin proposes federal travel funding for abortion seekers was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
More about the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
- MAGA Wisconsin GOP Pushed to Restrict IVF Access, Reproductive Freedom - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Feb 27th, 2024
- Families Are Losing Access to IVF Because of Donald Trump - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Feb 23rd, 2024
- Planned Parenthood Seeks Wisconsin Supreme Court Ruling On Abortion - Hope Kirwan - Feb 22nd, 2024
- PPWI Asks Wisconsin Supreme Court to Protect Abortion Rights - Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin - Feb 22nd, 2024
- Wisconsin Democrats on Donald Trump’s National Abortion Ban - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Feb 16th, 2024
- How Did Dobbs Decision Affect State’s Birth Rate? - Bridgit Bowden - Jan 2nd, 2024
- Gov. Evers Slams Republicans’ New Effort to Restrict Reproductive Healthcare in Wisconsin - Gov. Tony Evers - Dec 21st, 2023
- State Appeals Court Could Next Decide If Abortion Legal - Rich Kremer - Dec 20th, 2023
- Democratic Party of Wisconsin on Supreme Court Taking Up Abortion Medication Case - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Dec 13th, 2023
- DAs in Milwaukee, Dane Counties Urged to Prosecute Abortion Providers - Sarah Lehr - Sep 27th, 2023
Read more about Overturning of Roe v. Wade here