June 24, 2022

Duckworth Responds to Dangerous, Outrageous Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade, Taking Away Constitutional Rights for Millions

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today issued the following statement after an ultra-conservative majority of the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade:

“I am outraged and horrified—this outcome is a nightmare that robs women of their right to make their own choices about their healthcare and their bodies, and it paves the way for a nationwide abortion ban that Republicans have been seeking for decades. Millions of American families—including my own—have relied on Roe v. Wade for almost 50 years, and 70% of Americans believe it should remain the law of the land. The Supreme Court of the United States and the Justices who claimed Roe was ‘settled law,’ but then turned around and ruled otherwise, will—as Justice Sotomayor said—'struggle to survive the stench’ of this extreme decision.

“In a nation with a growing maternal mortality crisis and often inaccessible healthcare, without affordable child care or universal paid leave, forcing births on anyone—even when the mother’s life could be at risk—is not only cruel, it will also be deadly. Doctors working in states where abortion, or even management of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, is outlawed could even be threatened with prison for daring to save a patient’s life. Victims of rape could be forced to relive their trauma every day.

“I refuse to let my daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had. As Republicans continue their march toward a nationwide abortion ban, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Illinois remains a safe haven for all women seeking reproductive care. It is as important as ever that the Senate acts to codify Roe v. Wade into law so that every American in every state has equal access to basic, necessary healthcare—regardless of their skin color, zip code or income.”

Duckworth has made protecting and expanding access to essential women’s healthcare a top priority. She spoke out on the Senate floor in support of Americans’ reproductive rights and issued a statement after the leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court showed that a small group of far-right Justices could overturn Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks. Last year, she helped introduce the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) to codify Roe into law and was outraged when Republicans blocked this critical legislation earlier this year. Additionally, Duckworth is the lead sponsor of the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Healthcare (EACH) Act, which would end the Hyde Amendment and lift unjust abortion coverage restrictions for those who depend on Medicaid and other government-sponsored plans.

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