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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement this morning regarding the Supreme Court:

“The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Dobbs is courageous and correct. This is an historic victory for the Constitution and for the most vulnerable in our society.

“For 50 years, states have been unable to enact even modest protections for unborn children. More than 90% of Europe restricts abortion on demand after 15 weeks, but every state in America has been forced to allow it more than a month past that, after a baby can feel pain, yawn, stretch, and suck his or her thumb. Judicial activists declared that every state had to handle abortion like China and North Korea and no state could handle it like France or Germany.

“Not anymore. Now the American people get their voice back.

“The Court has corrected a terrible legal and moral error, like when Brown v. Board overruled Plessy v. Ferguson. The Justices applied the Constitution. They carefully weighed the complex factors regarding precedent. The Court overturned mistaken rulings that even liberals have long admitted were incoherent, restoring the separation of powers. I commend the Court for its impartiality in the face of attempted intimidation.

“Democrats’ disgraceful attacks on the Court have echoed Democrats’ outrage at Brown v. Board in 1954. Today’s Democrats are jaw-droppingly extreme on abortion. 97% of Washington Democrats support legislation that would effectively require nine months of abortion on demand until the moment of birth. Only 19% of Americans share this radical view but 97% of Democrats in Congress embrace it. They would rather attack our institutions than let the American people enact the reasonable protections they want.

“Millions of Americans have spent half a century praying, marching, and working toward today’s historic victories for the rule of law and for innocent life. I have been proud to stand with them throughout our long journey and I share their joy today.”

Today’s decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court. It was my great honor to do so! I did not cave to the Radical Left Democrats, their partners in the Fake News Media, or the RINOs who are likewise the true, but silent, enemy of the people. These major Victories prove that even though the Radical Left is doing everything in their power to destroy our Country, your Rights are being protected, the Country is being defended, and there is still hope and time to Save America! I will never stop fighting for the Great People of our Nation!

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House Republican Leadership
June 24, 2022

The House GOP Leadership’s Statement on the Dobbs Decision

Today, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY-21) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:

“Every unborn child is precious, extraordinary, and worthy of protection. We applaud this historic ruling, which will save countless innocent lives.

“The Supreme Court is right to return the power to protect the unborn to the people’s elected representatives in Congress and the states. In the days and weeks following this decision, we must work to continue to reject extreme policies that seek to allow late-term abortions and taxpayer dollars to fund these elective procedures.

“The people’s representatives must defend the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for every American – born and unborn. As we celebrate today’s decision, we recognize the decades of advocacy from the pro-life movement and we acknowledge much work remains to protect the most vulnerable among us.”

"Life wins! Millions of Americans are celebrating today’s ruling and a pro-life movement that has worked tirelessly for decades. For a half century unelected judges have dictated America’s abortion laws. This historic ruling rightfully returns power to the American people to enact laws that protect unborn children and support mothers everywhere. As this debate now returns to the states and the American people, we know there is still much work ahead. Republicans will continue to advocate for life, uphold the law, and stand against an extreme Democrat Party’s pro-abortion agenda.”

RNC Rapid Response

It’s a moment 49 years in the making.

 

In an historic victory for the right to life, the Supreme Court has officially overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the abortion debate to where a majority of Americans want it to be – with the people.

 

 

For decades, the Republican Party has stood together with the pro-life movement to bring an end to abortion-on-demand in this country. This decision was made possible because Republican voters showed up – not just to elect Republican presidents, but also to elect Republican senators.

 

The fact is Americans overwhelmingly support pro-life policies. 71 percent of Americans want at least some restrictions on abortion; just 15 percent of voters support abortion without limits. The Court’s decision means voters and their elected officials – not unelected judges – will be able to decide laws that protect unborn children and support their mothers.

 

Meanwhile, Democrats support taxpayer funded abortion-on-demand until the moment of birth – with no limits – and will do everything in their power to push their radical agenda. Democrats will use this decision to fearmonger, call for violence and intimidation, and attempt to destroy our institutions.

 

The only way to stop them is to vote them out in November.

 

For more on the Supreme Court’s decision, check out this piece from RNC Research.

 

 

Jacob Schneider

Deputy Director of Rapid Response

RNC Research

LIFE WINS

In A Momentous Day For America, The Supreme Court Has Returned The Power To Protect The Unborn To The American People

THE SUPREME COURT RIGHTFULLY RETURNS POWER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

Today the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, marking a historic victory for life.

For half a century, unelected judges have dictated America’s abortion laws – this decision returns the debate back to the American people and their elected representatives.

Voters and elected officials will be able to decide the laws that protect unborn children and support mothers everywhere.

A majority of Americans want states to determine policies on abortion.

Life is precious and worth defending; Democrats are fighting to force their radical abortion agenda on all Americans – Republicans are fighting to stop them.

The pro-life movement speaks up for both lives that are at stake during an abortion – the mother and the unborn child.

Republicans will continue to advocate for life, uphold the law, and stand against an extreme Democrat Party’s pro-abortion agenda.

AMERICANS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT PRO-LIFE POLICIES

A clear majority of Americans believe the most vulnerable in our society should be protected and support pro-life policies.

71 percent of Americans want at least some restrictions on abortion according to a Marist poll.

Americans overwhelmingly reject abortion on demand up until the moment of birth.

A majority of voters reject abortion on demand and support a 15-week limit on abortion.

55 percent of voters say they are more likely to support a 15-week limit on abortion when they learn that an unborn child has the capacity to feel pain.

65 percent of Americans believe that second trimester abortions should be illegal, and 80 percent of Americans believe third trimester abortions should be illegal.

77 percent of voters support legislation banning infanticide.

A recent RNC poll found that most voters reject Democrats’ abortion extremism.

Only 15 percent of voters believe in abortion without limits.

Only 23 percent of voters believe abortion should be legal when the unborn child is viable to live on its own outside of its mother.

Only 27 percent of self-described “pro-choice” voters believe abortion should be legal at any time during pregnancy and for any reason.

PRO-LIFE AMERICANS CARE ABOUT MOTHERS

The pro-life movement cares not only about the unborn child, but also for vulnerable mothers.

There are over 2,700 pro-life pregnancy centers that serve pregnant mothers.

Pregnancy centers help a mother throughout her pregnancy and after, such as providing basic baby supplies, classes in parenting and financial management, providing food for the mother and child, contacting government agencies to ensure the mother is signed up for any help she qualifies for, and partnering with hospitals.

DEMOCRAT POLICIES ARE BASED ON OUTDATED SCIENCE

Roe’s “viability” standard is based on outdated science – it is now possible for an unborn child to survive outside the womb at least a month and half earlier than was the case in 1973.

Thanks to advances in modern medicine and science, the humanity of a 15-week-old unborn child is undeniable.

At 5 weeks a baby has a heartbeat, and the brain and spinal cord begin to develop.

By 10 weeks babies have arms and legs, fingers, and toes and will jump if startled.

By 12 weeks the baby is fully formed.

At 15 weeks, the baby has a fully developed heart, has a nose, eyelids, and eyebrows, and can even suck their thumb and make faces.

An unborn child can feel pain early on, with science finding an unborn child can feel pain as early as 12 weeks and that by 20 weeks, pain receptors are present and linked.

47 out of 50 countries in Europe have limits on abortion prior to 15 weeks.

Roe’s viability standard was in line with China and North Korea.

DEMOCRATS ARE ABORTION EXTREMISTS

Democrats want to force their radical, extreme abortion policies on all Americans.

For the past two years, Senate Democrats blocked legislation banning infanticide.

44 Democrats voted against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.

41 Democrats voted against the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Act.

Biden and Democrats have refused to back any limits on abortion, including up to the moment of birth and after.

Biden has acknowledged that abortion kills a child when he said, “abort a child.”

Democrats have called abortion “fundamental” and “the most American of values,” and have even compared abortion to “deciding what career you’re going to pursue.”

Democrats have made clear that there’s no place for pro-life voters in the Democrat Party.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said there is no such thing as a pro-life Democrat: “being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said voters that do not want tax dollars paying for abortion do not have “a valid argument.”

Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in 2020 dodged if pro-life Democrats deserve a place within the party.

Former Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) said “more and more the [Democrat Party] is sending the message that if you are pro-life you aren’t welcome.”

Former Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) said the Democrat Party has become “intolerant” towards pro-life views.

Democrats want American taxpayers to fund abortion regardless of their faith.

DEMOCRATS HAVE REFUSED TO CONDEMN LEFT-WING VIOLENCE AND INTIMIDATION

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) encouraged threats against Supreme Court justices when he said “I want to tell you Gorsuch, I want to tell you Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won't know what hit you.”

Schumer also answered “yes” when asked if he was “comfortable with protests…outside the homes of Supreme Court justices.”

Democrats have refused to condemn the threatening protests outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices.

Former Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki on multiple occasions refused to condemn activists posting the justices’ home addresses online.

Psaki refused to say if Biden “has a view” on activists harassing justices at their homes and downplayed the harassment, claiming protests “have been peaceful to date and we certainly continue to encourage that outside of judges' homes."

Biden still has yet to condemn the assassination attempt of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called on protesters to actively pressure justices to influence their decisions.

After Democrats blocked a bill to offer heightened security to justices amid threats and an assassination attempt, Pelosi claimed no justice was “in danger.”

Washington, D.C. – Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America celebrated a landmark victory today as the U.S. Supreme Court issued its final decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – upholding Mississippi’s law limiting abortion at 15 weeks, overturning Roe v. Wade, and restoring the right to protect unborn children and their mothers to the people.

“Today marks an historic human rights victory for unborn children and their mothers and a bright pro-life future for our nation,” said SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Today the Supreme Court, in line with modern science and overwhelming public consensus, recognized the truth in every mother’s heart and that pro-life advocates have argued all along: unborn children are human beings, deserving of protection. Every legislature in the land, in every single state and Congress, is now free to allow the will of the people to make its way into the law through our elected representatives.

“An entirely new pro-life movement begins today. We are ready to go on offense for life in every single one of those legislative bodies, in each statehouse and the White House. Over the next few years we will have the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands, even millions of lives by limiting the horror of abortion in many states. In this mission of justice and mercy, we redouble our commitment to women and families – building on a pro-life safety net that includes 2,700 pregnancy centers nationwide and initiatives like SBA Pro-Life America’s Her PLAN, as well as a growing number of state Alternatives to Abortion programs, in order to love and serve both mother and child.

“Today’s outcome raises the stakes of the midterm elections. Voters will debate and decide this issue and they deserve to know where every candidate in America stands, including those who toe the Democratic Party line of abortion on demand without limits. Federal as well as state lawmakers must commit to being consensus builders who advocate for the most ambitious protections possible. SBA Pro-Life America will work tirelessly to expose and defeat abortion extremists using the tools of democracy. Life is winning in the hearts and minds of decent men and women across this nation, and when Americans remember our foundational values, life will win.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.

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National Right to Life Praises the Supreme Court’s Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Today’s Ruling Overturns High Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade Decision

WASHINGTON — The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of right-to-life affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson overturning its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Today’s decision returns the abortion issue to Congress and the state legislatures.

“This is a great day for preborn children and their mothers. The Court has correctly decided that a right to abortion is not in the constitution, thereby allowing the people, through their elected representatives, to have a voice in this very important decision,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life (NRLC).

In the majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, the High Court noted:

Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.

The decision was due to the justices who chose the Constitution over political pressure and who rightly concluded that there was nothing in the Constitution that would prevent the people’s elected representatives in the states from protecting the lives of unborn children. National Right to Life is deeply grateful for the work of millions of pro-life citizens—the 3,000 chapters and 51 affiliates of National Right to Life who have carried the pro-life message into every nook, cranny and corner of America for decades.

National Right to Life will have a more thorough analysis of the decision available later today.

Founded in 1968, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), the federation of affiliates in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia and more than 3,000 local chapters, is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots pro-life organization. Recognized as the flagship of the pro-life movement, National Right to Life works through legislation and education to protect innocent human life from abortion, infanticide, assisted suicide and euthanasia.

The White House
June 24, 2022

12:37 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Today is a — it’s not hyperbole to suggest a very solemn moment.  Today, the Supreme Court of the United States expressly took away a constitutional right from the American people that it had already recognized.

They didn’t limit it.  They simply took it away.  That’s never been done to a right so important to so many Americans.

But they did it.  And it’s a sad day for the Court and for the country.

Fifty years ago, Roe v. Wade was decided and has been the law of the land since then.

This landmark case protected a woman’s right to choose, her right to make intensely personal decisions with her doctor, free from the inter- — from interference of politics.

It reaffirmed basic principles of equality — that women have the power to control their own destiny.  And it reinforced the fundamental right of privacy — the right of each of us to choose how to live our lives.

Now, with Roe gone, let’s be very clear: The health and life of women in this nation are now at risk.

As Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as Vice President and now as President of the United States, I’ve studied this case carefully.  I’ve overseen more Supreme Court confirmations than anyone today, where this case was always discussed.

I believe Roe v. Wade was the correct decision as a matter of constitutional law, an application of the fundamental right to privacy and liberty in matters of family and personal autonomy.

It was a decision on a complex matter that drew a careful balance between a woman’s right to choose earlier in her pregnancy and the state’s ability to regulate later in her pregnancy.  A decision with broad national consensus that most Americans of faiths and backgrounds found acceptable and that had been the law of the land for most of the lifetime of Americans today.

And it was a constitutional principle upheld by justices appointed by Democrat and Republican Presidents alike.

Roe v. Wade was a 7 to 2 decision written by a justice appointed by a Republican President, Richard Nixon.  In the five decades that followed Roe v. Wade, justices appointed by Republican Presidents — from Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, George W. [H.W.] Bush — were among the justices who voted to uphold the principles set forth in Roe v. Wade.

It was three justices named by one President — Donald Trump — who were the core of today’s decision to upend the scales of justice and eliminate a fundamental right for women in this country.

Make no mistake: This decision is the culmination of a deliberate effort over decades to upset the balance of our law.  It’s a realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court, in my view.

The Court has done what it has never done before: expressly take away a constitutional right that is so fundamental to so many Americans that had already been recognized.

The Court’s decision to do so will have real and immediate consequences.  State laws banning abortion are automatically taking effect today, jeopardizing the health of millions of women, some without exceptions.

So extreme that women could be punished for protecting their health.

So extreme that women and girls who are forced to bear their rapist’s child — of the child of consequence.

It’s a — it just — it just stuns me.

So extreme that doctors will be criminalized for fulfilling their duty to care.

Imagine having — a young woman having to ch- — carry the child of incest — as a consequence of incest.  No option.

Too often the case that poor women are going to be hit the hardest.  It’s cruel.

In fact, the Court laid out state laws criminalizing abortion that go back to the 1800s as rationale — the Court literally taking America back 150 years.

This a sad day for the country, in my view, but it doesn’t mean the fight is over.

Let me be very clear and unambiguous: The only way we can secure a woman’s right to choose and the balance that existed is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade as federal law.

No executive action from the President can do that.  And if Congress, as it appears, lacks the vote — votes to do that now, voters need to make their voices heard.

This fall, we must elect more senators and representatives who will codify a woman’s right to choose into federal law once again, elect more state leaders to protect this right at the local level.

We need to restore the protections of Roe as law of the land.  We need to elect officials who will do that.

This fall, Roe is on the ballot.  Personal freedoms are on the ballot.  The right to privacy, liberty, equality, they’re all on the ballot.

Until then, I will do all in my power to protect a woman’s right in states where they will face the consequences of today’s decision.

While the Court’s decision casts a dark shadow over a large swath of the land, many states in this country still recognize a woman’s right to choose.

So if a woman lives in a state that restricts abortion, the Supreme Court’s decision does not prevent her from traveling from her home state to the state that allows it.  It does not prevent a doctor in that state — in that state from treating her.

As the Attorney General has made clear, women must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need.  And my administration will defend that bedrock right.

If any state or local official, high or low, tries to interfere with a woman’s ex- — exercising her basic right to travel, I will do everything in my power to fight that deeply un-American attack.

My administration will also protect a woman’s access to medications that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration — the FDA — like contraception, which is essential for preventative healthcare; mifepristone, which the FDA approved 20 years ago to safely end early pregnancies and is commonly used to treat miscarriages.

Some states are saying that they’ll try to ban or severely restrict access to these medications.

But extremist governors and state legislators who are looking to block the mail or search a person’s medicine cabinet or control a woman’s actions by tracking data on her apps she uses are wrong and extreme and out of touch with the majority of Americans.

The American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists wrote to me and Vice President Harris stressing that these laws are not based on — are not based on evidence and asking us to act to protect access to care.  They say by limiting access to these medicines, maternal mortality will climb in America.  That’s what they say.

Today, I’m directing the Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to ensure that these critical medications are available to the fullest extent possible and that politicians cannot interfere in the decisions that should be made between a woman and her doctor.  And my administration will remain vigilant as the implications of this decision play out.

I’ve warned about how this decision risks the broader right to privacy for everyone.  That’s because Roe recognized the fundamental right to privacy that has served as the basis for so many more rights that we have come to take — we’ve come to take for granted that are ingrained in the fabric of this country: the right to make the best decisions for your health; the right to use birth control — a married couple — in the privacy of their bedroom, for God’s sake; the right to marry the person you love.

Now, Justice Thomas said as much today.  He explicitly called to reconsider the right of marriage equality, the right of couples to make their choices on contraception.  This is an extreme and dangerous path the Court is now taking us on.

Let me close with two points.

First, I call on everyone, no matter how deeply they care about this decision, to keep all protests peaceful.  Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful.  No intimidation.  Violence is never acceptable.  Threats and intimidation are not speech.  We must stand against violence in any form regardless of your rationale.

Second, I know so many of us are frustrated and disillusioned that the Court has taken something away that’s so fundamental.  I know so many women are now going to face incredibly difficult situations.  I hear you.  I support you.  I stand with you.

The consequences and the consensus of the American people — core principles of equality, liberty, dignity, and the stability of the rule of law — demand that Roe should not have been overturned.

With this decision, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is, how far removed they are from the majority of this country.  They have made the United States an outlier among developed nations in the world.  But this decision must not be the final word.

My administration will use all of its appropriate lawful powers.  But Congress must act.  And with your vote, you can act.  You can have the final word.  This is not over.

Thank you very much.  I’ll have more to say on this in weeks to come.  Thank you.

12:49 P.M. EDT

C.W. Avery Family YMCA
Plainfield, Illinois

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.  (Applause.)  Good afternoon.  Good afternoon, everyone.  Please have a seat.  Good afternoon.  Good afternoon.

Well, first, I want to thank Senator Durbin.  I had the privilege of serving with him, as he mentioned, on the Senate Judiciary Committee.  And I can tell you, Illinois, you are very, very well represented by Senator Dick Durbin.  He is an extraordinary leader, a great fighter for all of American and — all of America, and in particular for the people of Illinois.
So, thank you, Dick Durbin, and congratulations to your grandchild, for her honor today as well.

And I want to thank all the leaders for joining us today, and a special thank you, of course, to Lauren Underwood.  Where are you?  Lauren.  (Applause.)  I have seen you when the cameras are on and when the cameras are off.  She’s always fighting for the people of her district.  And all that you have done for our government, for the people of our country, and for Plainfield, I thank you for that.  I thank you for your partnership and your leadership.

So, as Senator Durbin mentioned, we traveled here today.  In fact, they both joined me, along with the Secretary, on Air Force Two.  And we traveled here from D.C. today to talk with you about maternal health, which should be one of our highest priorities as a nation.

And I had planned to speak about our strategy for improving care for pregnant women and mothers across our country.  And as you know, on the way here, however, we learned that the United States Supreme Court had rendered its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

Here’s what that decision means: For nearly 50 years, we have talked about what Roe v. Wade protects.  Today, as of right now, as of this minute, we can only talk about what Roe v. Wade protected.  Past tense.

This is a healthcare crisis, because understand: Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning; without access to the same healthcare or reproductive healthcare that their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years.
 
This is the first time in the history of our nation that a constitutional right has been taken from the people of America.  And what is that right? — some might ask.  It’s the right to privacy.
 
Think about it as the right for each person to make intimate decisions about heart and home; decisions about the right to start a family, including contraception, such as IUDs and the morning-after pill; decisions about whether to have a child, including, as Senator Durbin mentioned, through in-vitro fertilization; decisions to marry the person you love — Obergefell v. Hodges, Loving vs. Virginia.
 
This opinion also says, when your read it, that abortion is not deeply rooted in our nation’s history.  They offer that in the opinion as a foundation for the decision they rendered today.
 
In holding that it is not deeply rooted in our history, today’s decision on that theory, then, calls into question other rights that we thought were settled, such as the right to use birth control, the right to same-sex marriage, the right to interracial marriage.
 
The great aspiration of our nation has been to expand freedom, but the expansion of freedom clearly is not inevitable.  It is not something that just happens — not unless we defend our most fundamental principles; not unless we elect leaders who stand up for those principles.
 
The strength of our nation has always been that we move forward.

Today, I invite all people to stand together in defense of one of the most fundamental ideals and principles that for generations, for centuries, I believe, we have held dear, which is that fundamental principle about the importance of liberty — to stand for liberty, to stand for freedom, to stand for self-determination, and for the right to privacy.
 
You have the power to elect leaders who will defend and protect your rights.  And as the President said earlier today, with your vote, you can act, and you have the final word.
 
So this is not over.  God bless you.  And God bless America.  (Applause.)

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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
June 24, 2022

Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement after a Republican-appointed Supreme Court majority voted to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“Today, the Republican-controlled Supreme Court has achieved the GOP’s dark and extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions.  Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers.

“With Roe now out of their way, radical Republicans are charging ahead with their crusade to criminalize health freedom.  In the Congress, Republicans are plotting a nationwide abortion ban.  In the states, Republicans want to arrest doctors for offering reproductive care and women for terminating a pregnancy.  GOP extremists are even threatening to criminalize contraception, as well as in-vitro fertilization and post-miscarriage care.

“A woman’s fundamental health decisions are her own to make, in consultation with her doctor and her loved ones – not to be dictated by far-right politicians.  While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v. Wade into law.

Dear Colleague on Supreme Court Overturning Roe v. Wade

Dear Democratic Colleague,

Over the last two days, the Supreme Court has inflicted devastation on our nation: flooding our public spaces with more deadly weapons and erasing women’s fundamental right to make their own reproductive health decisions.

While we regret these Supreme Court outcomes, we remain ready for the challenge to maintain a culture of respect for our women, safety for our children and freedom for all in our country.

Sadly, overturning Roe v. Wade is only the Republicans’ opening act in their despicable crusade to punish and control women.  With Roe now out of the GOP’s way, former Vice President Pence announced plans for a nationwide ban on abortion.

Of special concern is the disturbing attitude expressed by Justice Clarence Thomas, but shared by many opponents of women’s reproductive freedom, when he said: “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold (contraception), Lawrence (bodily autonomy) and Obergefell (marriage equality).”

On the gun violence prevention front: we are very proud of the legislation that we sent to President Biden today for his signature, and with gratitude for his leadership.  It represents a strong first step, but as we always promise the survivors: we will not rest until the job is done.

As we engage in our Congressional internal maneuvering, we must be a source of hope for outside advocates.  The biggest difference is made by the outside mobilization.  Women demonstrated during the Women’s March on Washington that they know their power – and they know how to use it, when they marched, they ran, they voted, and they won.

It is clear that the path forward will depend on the outcome of the upcoming midterm elections.  President Lincoln said: “Public sentiment is everything.”  And in order for public sentiment to prevail, the people must know.  We must continue to beat the drum – not only of what the challenges are, but what we as Democrats are doing about it.

The contrast between our parties could not be clearer: while Democrats are the party of freedom and safety, Republicans are the party of punishment and control.  We must “Remember in November” that the rights of women, and indeed all Americans, are on the ballot.

Thank you for your continued leadership For The People.

NANCY

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi held her weekly press conference today in the Capitol Visitor Center.  Below are the Speaker’s remarks:

Speaker Pelosi.  There's no point in saying ‘good morning’ because it certainly is not one.  This morning, the radical Supreme Court is eviscerating Americans' rights and endangering their health and safety.  But the Congress will continue to act to overcome this extremism and protect the American people.  Today, the Republican‑controlled Supreme Court has achieved their dark, extreme goal of ripping away a woman's right to make their own reproductive health decisions.  Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party – their supermajority on the Supreme Court – American women today have less freedom than their mothers.  With Roe and their attempt to destroy it, radical Republicans are charging ahead with their crusade to criminalize health freedom.

In the Congress – be aware of this – the Republicans are plotting a nationwide abortion ban.  They cannot be allowed to have a majority in the Congress to do that.  But that's their goal.  And if you read – and, again, we're all studying all this – but if you read what is very clear – one of the Justices had his own statement: it's about contraception, in vitro fertilization, family planning.  That is all what will spring from their decision that they made today.

Such a contradiction: yesterday, to say the states cannot make laws governing the Constitutional right to bear arms.  And today, they are saying the exact reverse: that the states can overturn a Constitutional right – for 50 years a Constitutional right – for a woman having the right to choose.  The hypocrisy is raging, but the harm is endless.  What this means to women is such an insult.  It's a slap in the face to women about using their own judgment to make their own decisions about their reproductive freedom.  And again, it goes – well, I always have said the termination of a pregnancy is just their opening act.  It's just their front game.  But behind it – and for years, I have seen in this Congress opposition to any family planning, domestic or global, when we have had those discussions and those debates and those votes on the Floor of the House.

This is deadly serious.  But we are not going to let this pass.  A woman's right to choose – reproductive freedom – is on the ballot in November.  We cannot allow them to take charge so that they can institute their goal, which is to criminalize reproductive freedom, to criminalize it.  Right now, they are saying in states they can arrest doctors and all the rest.  What is happening here?  What is happening here?  A woman's fundamental health decisions are her own to make in consultation with her doctor, her faith, her family – not some right‑wing politicians that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell packed the Court with.  While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v. Wade into the law of the land.  This cruel ruling is outrageous and heart‑wrenching.  But make no mistake, again, it's all on the ballot in November.

The Supreme Court has ended a Constitutional right.  This is – 50 years proclaimed a Constitutional right.  What happened today was historic in many respects.  Historic in that it had not granted, recognized a Constitutional right and then reversed it.  This is a first and – again, just before, it imposed a Constitutional right to allow for concealed weapons.  How about those Justices coming before the Senators and saying that they respected stare decisis, the precedent of the Court, that they respected the right of privacy in the Constitution of the United States?  Did you hear that?  Were they not telling the truth then?

 ...

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
June 24, 2022

Schumer Statement on SCOTUS Overturning Roe and Republicans’ Complicity in this Dangerous Decision to End Abortion Rights

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer issued the following statement today in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“Today is one of the darkest days our country has ever seen. Millions upon millions of American women are having their rights taken from them by five unelected Justices on the extremist MAGA court.

These justices, appointed by Republicans and presiding without any accountability, have stolen a fundamental right to have an abortion away from American women in this country. These justices were intentionally appointed by Republicans to overturn Roe v. Wade and every Republican Senator knew this would happen if they voted to confirm these radical justices. These MAGA Republicans are all complicit in today’s decision and all of its consequences for women and families in this country.

“Today’s decision makes crystal clear the contrast as we approach the November elections: elect more MAGA Republicans if you want nationwide abortion bans, the jailing of women and doctors and no exemptions for rape or incest. Or, elect more pro-choice Democrats to save Roe and protect a woman’s right to make their own decisions about their body, not politicians.”

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Democratic National Committee
June 24, 2022

Joint Statement From DNC, DSCC, DCCC, DGA, DAGA, DLCC, DMA On SCOTUS Overturning Roe v. Wade

In response to the United States Supreme Court today overturning Roe v. Wade, DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, DSCC Chair Gary Peters, DCCC Chair Sean Patrick Maloney, DGA Chair Roy Cooper, DAGA Co-Chairs Aaron Ford and Kathy Jennings, DLCC Chair Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Democratic Mayors Association President Levar M. Stoney issued the following joint statement:

“Democrats believe women in America have the right to make their own health care decisions, and that politicians should never get in the way of these private decisions. Today’s Supreme Court ruling is the culmination of a coordinated Republican effort to attack this fundamental freedom – but Democrats will fight back with every tool we can, and voters of every political persuasion will hold the GOP accountable in 2022.

“Make no mistake: The Republican Party will not stop at overturning Roe. The 2022 election will now determine whether new, cruel, and punishing restrictions will be put in place on women and families. With Republicans in power, states could make abortion illegal without exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and women and doctors could be charged with a crime if they have or perform an abortion.

“The stakes of November’s elections could not be higher – and voters will make their voices heard by standing with Democrats up and down the ballot.”

Democrats Launch National Organizing Campaign To Defend Choice in 2022

Following the Republican Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, today the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee are launching a nationwide organizing campaign to elect and reelect Democratic candidates who will defend women’s rights to make their own health care decisions.

From DNC Executive Director Sam Cornale: “The majority of voters agree: MAGA Republicans’ agenda of criminalizing abortion — including in cases of rape and incest — is wildly out of step with the American people. We are proud that this organizing campaign will give people across the country a way to make change by electing pro-choice Democrats up and down the ballot in November.”

From DSCC Executive Director Christie Roberts: “Today’s decision dramatically escalates the stakes of the 2022 elections, and we’re making sure Americans have the tools they need to channel their anger into action. This on-the-ground organizing work will help elect Democrats who will fight to protect women’s right to make their own health care decisions and ensure the GOP’s cruel agenda to making abortion illegal and punish women is front and center for voters across the Senate battlegrounds.”

From DCCC Executive Director Tim Persico: “The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher. MAGA Republicans are fixated on controlling people’s lives, forcing their backwards ideology onto everyone and throwing folks in jail who don’t agree with them. This organizing campaign will give outraged voters a way to help elect the pro-choice Democrats who are the last line of defense against Republican’s plan to ban abortion nationwide.”

The organizing effort includes:

• The launch of a new website, www.DefendChoice.org, an online hub where volunteers can easily connect with the coordinated field campaign in their state, sign up to make calls or send texts through Democrats’ national distributed organizing program, and share their own personal story about the importance of protecting reproductive rights.
• In the states, Democrats’ coordinated field campaigns will hold Weeks of Action focused on this issue, highlighting how this election will now determine whether Republicans can put in place cruel, new punishments on women and families.
• Democrats will host a national volunteer strategy call to discuss Democrats’ field organizing efforts, highlight the contrast with Republicans on this critical issue, and detail how voters can fight back to defend choice.

DNC on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, DNC Women’s Caucus Chair Lottie Shackelford, DNC AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong-Hong, DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie M. Rollins, DNC Disability Caucus Chair Kerri Evelyn Harris, DNC Native Caucus Chair Clara Pratte, DNC Hispanic Caucus Chair Iris Martinez, and DNC LGBT Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:

“Democrats, and the majority of Americans, believe women in this country have the right to make their own health care decisions. We will always be the party fighting for reproductive rights from statehouses to the halls of Congress.

Today’s Supreme Court decision is the culmination of a coordinated Republican effort to roll back reproductive rights. An ultra-conservative Supreme Court majority — in the face of 50-year-old precedent — has empowered MAGA Republicans across the country to further attack our fundamental freedoms.

“The 2022 election will now determine whether new, cruel, and punishing restrictions will be imposed on women and families. With Republicans in power, states could make abortion illegal without exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Women and doctors could be charged criminally. Other previously settled rights, like the right to contraception and marriage equality, could be threatened.

“The American people don’t want any of this. In 2022, they will stand with Democrats in holding Republicans accountable for their attacks on our rights and freedoms.”

MEMO: Republicans Won’t Stop At Overturning Roe

MEMORANDUM:

TO: Interested Parties

FROM: DNC War Room

DATE: June 24, 2022

RE: Republicans Won’t Stop At Overturning Roe


Today’s opinion from conservative Supreme Court justices overturns Roe v. Wade – a devastating blow to reproductive rights and Americans’ freedom to make their own health care decisions. Make no mistake: Today’s ruling is the direct result of Republicans’ unrelenting, decades-long, radical war on the right to an abortion.

MAGA Republicans across the country have made clear they have no intention of stopping at just overturning Roe – Mitch McConnell has already said a Republican majority could try to make abortion illegal everywhere. Many Republicans want to ban abortion with no exemptions for rape or incest. And others are even promising to throw doctors in jail and ban some forms of contraceptives.

Republicans might try to hide from their records now, but we’re here to highlight how they pose a direct threat to women’s health and are already signaling how much further they’ll go to attack our fundamental rights.

Despite overwhelming support for access to safe and legal abortion across the country, Republican leaders have waged an all-out war on access to reproductive health care and their records speak for themselves.

Kevin McCarthy claimed science “has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that human life begins at conception.” On the House floor, McCarthy said his goal in advocating legislatively against abortion rights was to make sure no woman could make a decision about abortion again.

Mitch McConnell bragged that his politicization of judicial nomination was his greatest pro-life accomplishment and said state legislatures should be allowed to “define, legislatively, the whole process of giving birth.”

During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump called for a ban on abortion with “some form of punishment” for women. He also vowed to only nominate Supreme Court justices who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.

As president, Donald Trump sought to pass legislation that would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks and vowed to veto any abortion rights legislation. 

Mike Pence has repeatedly said that he believes Roe v. Wade should be sent to “the ash heap of history.” Pence also bragged about how the Trump-Pence administration stacked the federal courts with extreme judges, repeatedly attacked abortion access, and stripped funding from Planned Parenthood.

While serving as the governor of Indiana, Mike Pence signed anti-abortion legislation every year of his tenure.

Mike Pompeo said he would not support abortion exceptions for rape.

Kristi Noem said in her “perfect world” abortion would no longer exist. Noem openly bragged about South Dakota’s trigger law that automatically bans abortion when Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Tim Scott says he is “100 percent committed” to “pro-life” policies, he believes life begins at conception and has suggested that abortion is not a choice.

Marsha Blackburn believes women do not have the right to abortion because the word does not explicitly appear in the constitution.

Tom Cotton vowed that overturning Roe v. Wade would be just the start of Republican efforts to restrict abortion rights and said it was “radical” for states to pass “laws declaring abortion a ‘fundamental right.’”

Ted Cruz has openly said he wants to end abortion “once and for all” and supports banning abortion from the moment of conception. Cruz also defended his opposition to a rape exception for abortions.

Ron DeSantis said the 15-week abortion ban he signed into law – which included no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking – was “warranted.”

Mike DeWine said he was “proud” to sign a six-week abortion ban that included no exceptions.

Doug Ducey signed a bill making it a class 6 felony for a physician to perform an abortion after 15 weeks.

Following news that the Supreme Court was set to overturn Roe v. Wade, Nikki Haley called it “a victory.” She also attacked pro-choice Americans’ advocacy as “not real feminism.”

Rick Scott repeatedly voiced support for anti-choice policies requiring women seeking an abortion to receive an ultrasound saying he hoped they would change their minds.

Josh Hawley said Roe v. Wade was a “historic injustice” that “invented this constitutional right” and called for it to be overturned, and vowed to only vote for Supreme Court nominees “who have explicitly acknowledged” Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided.

Ron Johnson supported letting states impose abortion restrictions and said those who opposed them should just move to another state.

Mike Lee compared the anti-abortion movement to the fights for civil rights and against Nazism.

Mike Pompeo said he does not believe in rape exceptions for abortion bans, explicitly rejected the notion that abortion is a right, and bragged about the Trump administration’s anti-choice record.

Kim Reynolds said, if criminalized, abortion should have the same legal consequences as murder.

Marco Rubio opposes exceptions to abortion bans in cases of rape. Rubio has also said that in the “conflict” between a woman’s right to choose and an unborn child’s right to live, he would always side with the unborn child.

Overturning Roe is the beginning, not the end, for Republican leaders. MAGA Republican governors and state legislatures have already begun pushing legislation that criminalizes abortions, threatens doctors with prison, and institutes full-out abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest.

In Mississippi, the Republican governor refused to rule out a ban on certain forms of contraception.

The Nebraska state legislature could reconsider a near-total abortion ban bill that defines life as beginning at fertilization now that Roe is overturned.

In Oklahoma, the Republican governor signed a near-complete abortion ban into law.

Arkansas has a trigger law that will ban abortions except in the case of life-threatening medical emergencies.

Idaho’s trigger law will criminalize abortion as a felony – punishable by up to 5 years in prison.

Missouri’s 2019 law will make it a felony for doctors to perform or induce abortions except in cases of medical emergency.

North Dakota’s 2007 law will go into effect making it a felony to perform an abortion except for protecting the life of the mother.

South Dakota’s nearly outright ban on abortions has been in place since 2005 and will go into effect “on the date states are recognized by the United States Supreme Court to have the authority to prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy.”

Tennessee and Texas’s current laws would prohibit abortion except in the case of protecting the mother and will go into effect 30 days from today. Violators could face felony charges.

June 24, 2022