Today, Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township) released the following statement after Politico obtained reporting that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade:
“I’m extremely troubled by recent reporting that after nearly half a century, this right-wing Supreme Court is on the precipice of striking down one of the most important rights in this country—the right to make decisions about our own bodies. A ruling that fully overturns Roe v. Wade (or even severely undermines it) will affect millions of lives—including many trans and non-binary people. States have already enacted legislation to criminalize abortion providers and patients.
“If this decision stands, it is Black people, indigenous people, people of color, working class and low-income people, LGBTQIA+ people, people who are immigrants, younger people, people with disabilities, geographically isolated people, and people with multimarginal identities who will suffer the most. People will continue to receive abortions, but they will too often become dangerous and unsafe procedures that force pregnant people to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles and put themselves in harm’s way.
“With this draft decision, the majority of the Supreme Court revealed their hostility to many existing rights and called into question much of the progress we’ve made as a country. We cannot disentangle the movement to suppress reproductive freedom from the same regressive politics of our national past as they are borne from the same oppressive movements. Without urgent and sweeping reform, we will never have true freedom and justice in this country. The Senate must abolish the filibuster and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify Roe immediately and we must reform and expand the Supreme Court.
“In the meantime, while this remains a draft opinion and abortion is still legal in a majority of states, we need strong, resilient communities to come together and ensure that everyone can access the care that they need. Across the country, we must double down on our support for abortion providers and patients in our communities, especially as polling shows that a majority of Americans believe Roe should be upheld.
“As a longtime reproductive justice advocate, I am ready to fight like hell for the right of every American to access an abortion. We must proclaim loudly and proudly: abortion rights are human rights. And we must work towards a future where access to abortion is liberated from restrictions and bans universally.”
Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-defends-abortion-rights-calls-scotus-expansion
