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Statement

SCOTUS Seems Poised to Put Women, Moms on the Brink

May 3, 2022
Reproductive Justice

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of leaders of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization:

“Abortion is legal in the United States today but if the SCOTUS opinion leaked to Politico prevails, everything – everything – will change for every woman and every family in this country. The Court seems poised to strip away our right to privacy and with it women’s autonomy and right to be free and equal members of society, our ability to make fundamental decisions about our lives, and to access the health care we need. What for 50 years has been unthinkable will become every woman’s reality.

“Being able to choose if, when, and how many children to have, which includes access to abortion care, is a fundamental right. The majority of people who seek abortion care are moms, and our lives will change in fundamental, truly appalling ways. Initially, lawmakers in 26 states where 36 million women live will deny us access to abortion care. They will be making the most personal decisions of our lives for us, ignoring medical standards. Without question, low-income women, women of color, young and immigrant women, and those who are LGBTQ will suffer the most. And at some point if we have a hostile Congress and President, every woman in America will lose these fundamental rights.

“This ruling would imperil not just our fundamental right to abortion care but also our right to access birth control. This is not what the country wants. It would be tyranny of the minority, a failure of democracy, and a denial of our essential freedoms.” 

-Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising

“If this opinion stands, it would have devastating health and economic consequences for pregnant people, who would once again suffer and die, taking us backward from the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which the Court should have secured and expanded, not taken away. And we note that the same people who support abortion bans have long opposed free birth control, improved maternal health care, paid family/medical leave, affordable childcare, and more. 

“We fear now that the Supreme Court will reverse other fundamental rights, including marriage equality, LGBTQ rights, and more. 

“Moms – and women – must be able to make our own decisions about our bodies, our lives and our futures.”

-Statement of Diarra Aida Diouf, Campaign Director, Maternal Justice, Reproductive Justice and Youth Justice, MomsRising

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.