Dear John,

Monday would have been the 51st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that established a federal right to abortion. That right—upon which millions of women have relied—was callously overturned in June 2022 in the bitterly fought Dobbs decision. 

Most Americans think that overturning Roe was bad for the country, according to new polling from Navigator. Not only that, but three in five support the idea of Congress passing a federal law that guarantees the right to an abortion—and a majority support medication abortion care remaining legal. This echoes our own polling from last fall, which found that abortion and equal rights for women will be deciding factors in the 2024 elections. Our polling found that three-quarters of all voters support “a person’s right to make their own reproductive decisions without government interference”—including decisions regarding abortion, contraception and continuing a pregnancy.

Since the Dobbs decision that Trump so proudly takes credit for, we have seen the horrific and sometimes deadly results of abortion bans play out. Yet despite resounding proof of the dangers these laws pose to women, anti-women politicians remain determined to dismantle what abortion protections remain. Legislators in Republican-dominated states across the country continue to propose anti-abortion laws, and oppose measures that would secure rights to abortion and reproductive healthcare. Two potentially explosive cases are before the Supreme Court this term. The first involves a case seeking to drastically limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone, even in states with laws protecting abortion. And cases coming out of both Idaho and Texas challenging the obligations of hospitals to provide emergency care, including abortion, under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, pose a life-threatening danger to the safety and wellbeing of pregnant patients in states with abortion bans. Given the Court’s preliminary decision to allow the Idaho abortion ban to be enforced even in medical emergencies while the case proceeds, the outlook for abortion rights before the Supreme Court is dim. 

One thing is for certain: one and a half years after the Dobbs decision, women and abortion access supporters are more enraged, more mobilized, and more willing to fight than ever. And we believe the 2024 elections will prove that.

For equality,

Kathy Spillar
Executive Editor

Listen to United Bodies—a new podcast about the lived experience of health, from Ms. Studios, on Apple Podcasts + Spotify. 

In an era of rampant public health misinformation and a distrust of institutions, Americans are running towards the wellness industry to save themselves. Multidisciplinary artist and author of Who is Wellness For, Fariha Róisín, joins the latest United Bodies to discuss exactly that question: WHO IS WELLNESS FOR?
 

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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