Pro-Choice Caucus Statement on Draft Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Statement

The leaders of the Pro-Choice Caucus, U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), released the following joint statement in response to reports about a draft Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade:

"If accurate, tonight's POLITICO report of a draft Supreme Court decision is the clearest indication yet that the court is poised to overturn decades of legal precedent and deal a shattering blow to the right to access abortion care in the U.S. Such a move would be an unconscionable rollback of a fundamental right and would have devastating impacts throughout the country.

"Everyone should have the right to make their own personal health care decisions that impact their lives, health and futures. And it is chilling to think this court is unwilling to protect those rights.

"If the Supreme Court does, in fact, overturn Roe, half the states in the U.S. will likely move to severely restrict or outright ban abortion care. If the court upends precedent, even more people across the country will soon be forced to travel hundreds of miles out of state or carry pregnancies to term against their will. Abortion bans impact everyone, but their effects fall hardest on people who already face barriers in accessing health care - particularly Black, Indigenous, and other people of color, people with disabilities, people in rural areas, young people, undocumented people, and those working to make ends meet.

"At this point, it's important to emphasize that this decision is not final and abortion care is still legal. We are still fighting every day to protect and expand abortion access across the country. And, now more than ever, we need our colleagues in the U.S. Senate to do the same by passing the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) immediately to enshrine the right to access abortion care into federal law."

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