TACOMA, WA – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland issued the following statement in response to the decision by the United States Supreme Court action to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey through their decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (JWHO). The decision eliminates the federal constitutional right to abortion and permits states to ban abortion.
“This decision is a full-on assault on women’s freedoms that rolls back the fundamental right of reproductive choice in America. This decision will also have dangerous consequences for women and families in the South Sound, and across this country. It means that 26 states can now move quickly to ban abortion – with millions of women losing access to reproductive health care. And it is a dangerous step toward the ultimate goal of the extreme, anti-women movement: A nationwide abortion ban that would block a woman’s right to choose access in every state in the country, including Washington.
“Because of this decision favoring state rights, desegregation of schools (Brown v. Board of Education), gay marriage (Obergefell v. Hodges), interracial marriage (Loving v. Virginia), and other federally-protected rights are now in danger. This decision is a threat to the health, safety, economic security, and basic freedoms that we cherish.
“I will never stop fighting in Congress to ensure that safe and legal abortion and family planning care are available to all. I will always support a woman’s right to choose, and I will fight all attempts to restrict access to reproductive health care. I will continue to support funding for Planned Parenthood, and I will keep fighting to ensure that our service members receive the quality, safe reproductive health care they deserve.
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