Congresswoman Lee Releases Statement on Supreme Court Overturning Roe V. Wade

Press Release

Congresswoman Barbara Lee issued this statement after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade:

"Today, I share the anger, outrage and devastation of the millions of Americans who have just lost the fundamental, precedented right to abortion care.

"After a decades-long coordinated strategic assault on women's rights by right-wing extremists, Roe was overturned in a 6-3 decision by an unelected conservative court. This decision is a blatant attack on reproductive freedom and in direct opposition to the will of the people. And we know it will be felt even more acutely for women of color, low-income individuals, young people, those in rural communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and others who already face higher barriers to care.

"This conservative Supreme Court has ruled that states shouldn't be trusted to make their own laws on gun control but can keep people from making their own health care decisions. It is unconscionable. We are seeing the horrific consequences of minority rule playing out in real time--and this is only the beginning of their radical agenda to take America back in history and take another step toward eroding our democracy. This is the first time in history the Supreme Court is taking away a constitutional right. We cannot allow them to reverse the progress we've made to secure fundamental rights like access to contraception and marriage equality. Politicians and justices should not be trusted to make health care decisions more than people themselves.

"Now, we must support local clinics, health providers, abortion funds and nonprofits doing the ground work to connect those in states with draconian abortion bans to safe-haven states like California or provide access to medication abortion. We must ensure safe abortions are still accessible to the most vulnerable.

"This is NOT over. We must fight this in state legislatures. We must organize and elect a pro-choice Senate in the midterms and every election thereafter. We must abolish the filibuster if we have any hope of passing meaningful legislation not only to enshrine Roe into federal law, but to stop gun violence, safeguard voting rights, dismantle white supremacy and police brutality, fight climate change, and address all of the most pressing threats of our time.

"For those who don't trust people to make their own health care decisions: we'll see you in November."

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