Most legal, safe abortions in America could be outlawed by the close of the current U.S. Supreme Court session.
Politico obtained a draft copy of a majority opinion written by Justice Sam Alito that would overturn Roe v. Wade and the Mississippi based Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In effect, it would leave the legality of abortion up to individual states.
Congresswoman Cori Bush (D. St. Louis) was in her hometown Wednesday and said abortion is a constitutional right that must be protected “by any means necessary.”
“The right to choose has always been vulnerable to a Supreme Court stacked with Trump-appointed judges. It is why the American people turned out to deliver control of the House, Senate, and White House to Democrats.
“We cannot throw up our hands like there isn’t anything we can do to protect the reproductive freedom of millions of people in this country, especially when Black, brown, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+ and low-income people are the communities that will be harmed the most.”
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones decried the leaked opinion and blasted its potential harm to women and families.
“First, they come for our bodies – then they come for voting rights, civil rights, [and] LGBTQ rights,” Jones said in a statement shortly after the Politico story was posted.
“From the Supreme Court to the Missouri state legislature, right-wing politicians are working overtime to strip away our most personal and fundamental freedoms for their own political gain. If there was ever a time to hit the alarm and break the glass, this is it. Congress must take action to protect abortion rights and keep these bans off of our bodies.” Mayor Tishaura Jones
Legislation that Missouri lawmakers passed and Gov. Mike Parson signed in 2019 would ban abortions in the state with the exception of medical emergencies if Roe and Casey are overturned. There would be no exceptions for rape or incest. The law in question is currently ensnared in federal litigation.
Yamelsie Rodríguez, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, said in a statement while the leaked opinion is “just a draft, it previews what we’ve long been preparing for — the day Roe v. Wade is overturned and the legal right to abortion comes to an end in this country.”
“We knew this opinion was coming and while it’s not official, it brings us one step closer to an impending public health crisis,” Rodríguez said.
“For now, patients seeking abortion care in Missouri and Illinois, can and should continue to show up for your appointments — abortion remains legal today. No matter what, with our partners, we will fight for what little is left of abortion access in Missouri and push forward to expand in Illinois where abortion access is protected beyond Roe.”
Democrat Lucas Kunce said in a statement: “It is fundamentally necessary that the U.S. Congress codify Roe v. Wade immediately. If they won’t, we need to replace them.”
One of Kunce’s Democratic rivals, Trudy Busch Valentine, said in a statement that it’s “heartbreaking that the Supreme Court is now on the brink of repealing it.”
“We need to codify Roe at the federal level immediately,” Valentine wrote.
Ben Samuels, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for the right to face Second Congressional District Congresswoman Ann Wagner, said “this is urgent and as real as it gets.”
“If true…it is unethical, cruel, and dangerous for tens of millions of American women. The right to make private reproductive health care decisions should be between a woman and her doctor full stop. I pledge to vote for and support legislation in Congress that enshrines the right to an abortion.”
Forecast that elimination of the Senate filibuster must be considered to protect reproductive rights.
“While abortion is still legal this morning in America, people are going to die because of the decision of a far-right Supreme Court; unless Congress acts,” she said.
“The Senate must abolish the filibuster and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act immediately.”
Jones also appealed the Democratically controlled House and Congress to quicky respond.
“Congress must take action to protect abortion rights and keep these bans off of our bodies,” she said.
