Three weeks ago, five conservative Supreme Court Justices overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving all Americans with less equality, less dignity, and less freedom. Make no mistake about it: this is a crisis situation, and the devastating impacts are already being felt across the country. Following the Court’s decision, Republicans have made it abundantly clear that they will stop at nothing to criminalize abortion across the entire nation – and next they will take aim at other basic human rights, including birth control and same-sex marriage.
While things certainly look bleak at the moment, I am working tirelessly alongside my Democratic colleagues to restore the protections of Roe, protect women seeking access to critical abortion care, and ensure that other fundamental rights are safeguarded against future attacks by this radical, right-wing majority on the Supreme Court.
Last week, I held a hearing to expose the implications of the Dobbs decision on our fundamental rights, including the right to contraception, the right to marry whomever we choose, and the fundamental right to privacy.
In addition, I was proud to vote in favor of two critical bills that passed the House of Representatives that would enshrine access to abortion and protect the right for women to travel in order to obtain an abortion:
- The Ensuring Women's Right to Reproductive Freedom Act protects Americans from extremist Republican politicians and antiabortion groups by ensuring no person acting under state law can prevent, restrict, impede, or otherwise retaliate against a person traveling across state lines to obtain a lawful abortion. This would include vigilantes who could be empowered by states to seek out a person for obtaining an abortion.
- The Women’s Health Protection Act—which has been previously passed by the House but has been blocked twice by the Senate—would restore the right to an abortion nationwide ensuring all Americans, regardless of where they live, can make their own decisions about their lives and their futures.
Finally, I joined my colleagues in calling on President Biden to declare national and public health emergencies on abortion access. I believe this important step would protect the health & lives of women across the country in need of abortion care.
In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to protect abortion access, as well as other rights we value, from the threats posed by Republicans and others looking to further erode Americans’ control over their own lives.
Sincerely,
Jerrold Nadler
Member of Congress
