Immediately following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday to overturn Roe v. Wade, current and former lawmakers reacted to the decision, which denies a Constitutional right to an abortion.
The 6-3 decision had been anticipated since the Supreme Court took the Dobbs v. Jackson case this year. A leak of the decision last month showed a 6-3 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which was upheld in the final opinion.
The ruling:Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion
Here’s what lawmakers are saying about the decision:
Former Vice President Mike Pence
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is contemplating his own presidential run in 2024, issued a statement within minutes of the ruling and called for ending abortions in all 50 states.
Praising the Supreme Court for returning the issue to the states, Pence said: ”Having been given this second chance for life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land.”
He did not offer specific proposals.
Pence rose to political prominence as a social conservative who emphasized abortion. He won elections to the US House, the governor’s mansion in Indiana and the vice presidency.
In his statement, Pence said: “It is incumbent on all who cherish the sanctity of life to resolve that we will take the defense of the unborn and the support for women in crisis pregnancy centers to every state in America.”
– David Jackson
Senator Bob Casey
Sen. Bob Casey, a longstanding Catholic Democrat who has previously supported pro-life efforts, condemned the Supreme Court ruling.
“Today’s decision upends almost a half century of legal precedent and rips away a constitutional right that generations of women have known their entire lives,” he said in a statement. “This dangerous ruling won’t end abortions in this country, but it will put women’s lives at risk.”
Casey forecast that this is the beginning of a series of decisions and efforts to end abortion rights in the US
“And make no mistake—this is not the end goal, it’s just the beginning. Republicans in Congress want to pass federal legislation to completely ban abortion. Our daughters and granddaughters should not grow up with fewer rights than their mothers.”
–Candy Woodall
Former PresidentBarack Obama
Only minutes after the ruling was announced, Former President Barack Obama released a statement on Twitter:
“Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans,” he wrote.
Obama also linked to longer statement that he and former First Lady Michelle Obama wrote when the draft decision was leaked.
In his previous statement and tweets, Obama called on Americans upset over the decision to “join with activists who’ve been sounding the alarm on abortion access for years — and react.”
–Katherine Swartz
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism