Abortion will remain legal and accessible for all Oregon residents and anyone who travels to Oregon to access abortion care
Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court reversed the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, eliminating federal protections for abortion and allowing states to ban abortion at any point during a pregnancy. This ruling constitutes nothing less than a direct attack on women and those who can become pregnant.
The Young Democrats of Oregon strongly condemn the court that forces anyone to bear the burdens of pregnancy and childbirth.
Due to discrimination and systemic barriers, this ruling will disproportionately harm young people, people in rural areas, communities of color, immigrants and refugees, working-class people, and people with disabilities. Almost 7 in 10 women who receive abortions are Black, Hispanic, Asian American, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. Women living at or below the poverty line receive 49% of the abortions performed in the US. Women under 35 years old accounted for 84.2% of reported abortions in Oregon in 2018. Wealthy, privileged, and well-connected people will always be able to access abortion. This ruling will not stop abortions from happening, but it will end access to safe abortions for millions of people.
In Oregon, abortion will remain legal and accessible for all Oregon residents and anyone who travels to Oregon to access abortion care.
In 2017, Democrats in the Oregon Legislature passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) which expands access to abortion as well as free and low-cost reproductive care, and requires that insurance from Oregon cover abortion. In 2022, the Oregon Legislature’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Caucus advocated for the passage of the Reproductive Health Equity Fund which allocated $15 million to improve access to abortion in Oregon and prepare for waves of residents from neighboring states traveling to Oregon. We applaud Governor Kate Brown, our Democratic legislators, and those who fought hard to make Oregon the state with the strongest protections for abortion access.
We also applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Women’s Health Protection Act in September 2021, which would codify the protections for abortion rights that Roe V. Wade previously established. We demand that the U.S. Senate approve this act and President Biden sign it without delay.
In the hard days ahead, let’s take care of one another. At this pivotal moment, we must be there to listen to and defend women and those who can become pregnant, who this despicable ruling harms most. The Young Democrats of Oregon will be ready to campaign our hearts out for Democrats who will defend abortion rights here in Oregon–and against anyone who would roll those rights back.
The people of Oregon cannot back down. We will not go back. The Young Democrats of Oregon will persist until the right to an abortion is the law of the land again.
In solidarity,
Young Democrats of Oregon
P.S. We will publish a list of action items in the coming days. Stay tuned.
