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Dear Friend,

A woman’s right to choose is fundamental and must be protected. I am outraged that the Republican-appointed Supreme Court has overturned *Roe v. Wade* and ended nearly five decades of critically important protections for women’s health and the right to choose. 

 

This decision will not end abortion; it will only end safe abortion in America. Millions of women and families—especially the poorest and most vulnerable in our country—will be less safe because of this. By overturning *Roe*, the Supreme Court is paving the way to end all federal protections for marriage equality, access to contraception, and more.

 

We cannot accept this. A majority of Americans support the protections provided by *Roe v. Wade,* and in a democracy, it is incumbent upon elected officials to carry out the will of the voters. That’s why I voted to pass the “Women’s Health Protection Act” in the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would—at last—protect abortion rights across the country by making the protections in *Roe v. Wade*federal law.

 

Every single Republican in the U.S. Senate shamefully voted against these crucial protections. Yet, Democrats refuse to give up on protecting women’s right to choose. Our intensely personal decisions belong to us; they have no place at the whim of political extremists and ideologues. It is unconscionable that my grandchildren could live in a country with fewer rights than the one I grew up in. In the weeks and months ahead, I will keep up the fight and continue building momentum to enact bills like the "Women’s Health Protection Act" into law to defend women’s rights.

 

Sincerely,

JOHN GARAMENDI