By: Claire Goodman, Staff writer

U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Houston, who also represents part of Fort Bend County, has been named Whip of the Pro-Choice Caucus. The caucus is “a coalition of Members in the U.S. House of Representatives who are working to preserve, protect, and advance policies that ensure reproductive autonomy,” Fletcher said in a statement Friday.

Fletcher will now be tasked with coordinating with other Democrats to make sure they present unified votes on legislation regarding reproductive rights issues.

The caucus is led by co-chairs Diana DeGette of Colorado and Barbara Lee of California.

“I am proud to be appointed Whip of the Pro-Choice Caucus, where I will help lead the fight against anti-abortion legislation and advocate for policy protecting the reproductive health of women across our community and our country,” Fletcher said.

According to a statement from her office, last year Fletcher’s bill to protect the right to travel for abortion, HR 8297, passed the House. She also introduced HR 8452, also called the Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act, to establish a grant program for people traveling to have an abortion, the statement said. Fletcher was an original co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which establishes a statutory federal right to abortion free from medically unnecessary restrictions.

“Representative Lizzie Fletcher is a fierce advocate in Congress for reproductive rights, not only for the people of Texas, but for all our constituents across America," DeGette and Lee said in a joint statement. “As co-Chairs of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, we are proud to welcome her to the Caucus leadership team. We look forward to working alongside her to do what the voters sent us here to do: defend reproductive freedom, expand abortion access, and keep health care decisions in the hands of patients and providers, not politicians."