“In 1973, Roe v. Wade affirmed that a woman has a constitutional right to autonomy over her own body. A woman’s reproductive health decisions should be between her and her doctor. For this reason, the Supreme Court’s draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade poses the most significant restriction of rights in the past 50 years and will have devasting consequences on all women. Despite nearly 7 in 10 Americans supporting women’s constitutional right to choose, a majority of Supreme Court justices have decided to overturn the precedent set by the court and defy the will of the American people. 

“This past Wednesday, the United States Senate held a vote to codify the nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade ruling into federal law. This would ensure a woman has a constitutional right to autonomy over her own body. It would also invalidate the many draconian laws states like Mississippi and Texas have passed to punish a woman for making her own health care decisions.Despite the vast majority of Americans supporting Roe, 51 Senators voted against affirming that a woman has the constitutional right to make her own healthcare decisions. This is completely unacceptable. The Federal Government has an obligation to ensure women can make their own reproductive decisions.

“In the state Assembly, I have fought to ensure women’s reproductive freedoms are never questioned. I helped pass the Reproductive Health Act to protect abortion access across the state and supported measures to ensure women can afford the contraceptives they need. I will continue to do everything I can to strengthen reproductive health choices for all women. When it comes to reproductive rights, failure is not an option.”