Speier Statement on the 49th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Statement
Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14), Co-Chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, released the following satement marking the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
"Let's talk about the facts. One in four women has had an abortion and benefitted from the freedom to make decisions about if and when to have a child. I am one of those women. The abortion I had later in pregnancy saved my life and allowed me to have another child, care for my family, realize my professional potential, and dedicate my life to public service. The vast majority of Americans understand this and support abortion rights. So I refuse to allow six people to tell 80 percent of the population that their interests don't count, that precedent in the Supreme Court doesn't count. I refuse to accept that the Supreme Court can turn back the clock to a time when women were not allowed the freedom to choose what to do with their bodies. Those same six people think that people have the right to refuse to be vaccinated or wear masks.
But I won't just stop at defending Roe. We've always known that it wasn't enough to ensure people--especially indigenous people, people of color, and people working to make ends meet--can get the care they need when they need it. Legal abortion was always just the beginning. The liberated future of abortion is that it must be accessible, affordable, and supported with love and compassion. Women must be able to access the health care that they need, that is their Constitutional right, without fear of legal or social retribution or judgment.
Today's anniversary of the landmark legal decision Roe v. Wade is cast in shadow; we are facing a grim future and the possibility that there may not be a 50th anniversary next year. But our fight for Roe, and for better than Roe, will never end. Progress is rarely linear. The moral arc of the universe is on our side. We will achieve passage of the Women's Health Protection Act in Congress, so that abortion rights are codified once and for all."
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