Moulton Statement on SCOTUS Abortion Case

WASHINGTON — Following oral arguments in the Supreme Court involving the Mississippi law that prohibits abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, Representative Seth Moulton released the following statement: 

“For nearly half a century, we’ve counted on the Supreme Court to preserve a woman’s Constitutional right to make her own health care decisions. After this week’s oral arguments, it's become increasingly clear that this may no longer be the reality. Abortion rights are more in danger now than they’ve been in a generation.

As early as next June, tens of millions of women, especially low-income women and women of color, could be turned away from abortion clinics and effectively pushed into a de-facto regime of forced pregnancy. Make no mistake: the wealthy will still have abortions because they will have no problem traveling far and wide to do so. Americans need Congress to do everything in our power to prevent anti-abortion extremists from bulldozing over their right to bodily autonomy and self-determination. 

That’s why, back in September, the House voted to codify Roe v. Wade into law. It’s now up to the Senate to eliminate the filibuster and do the same. We used to be able to rely on the Supreme Court to uphold precedent, but with Trump and McConnell’s politicization of the Court, that is no longer the case. We simply cannot stand by and allow our children to grow up in a country with fewer rights than when they were born. 

For those who are angry at the relentless attacks against women’s equality and autonomy, I encourage you to continue making your voice heard. The Court needs to hear how critically important this issue is to the American people—the majority of whom support upholding Roe v. Wade.

If we fail to live up to this moment, we will return back to the days where women risked death to obtain illegal abortions and move toward a future where women are no longer able to live out their hopes and dreams. 

The fundamental promise at the heart of Roe is that women have the right to make decisions about their bodies, their futures, and their families. If we don’t act quickly to protect abortion rights, women everywhere will lose these most precious freedoms."

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