Hirono Statement on Supreme Court Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) released the following statement after the Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning Roe v. Wade and ending the constitutional right to abortion:
“Today is a horrific day in America. The Supreme Court was confronted with a fundamental question: who should have control over a woman’s body, a woman or a bunch of politicians. Today, the Supreme Court decided it should be a bunch of politicians. Their decision to overturn Roe will go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of the Court.
“The far-right MAGA majority on the Supreme Court has stripped women in this country of a fundamental constitutional right we have relied on for nearly 50 years—which is what Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell and extreme Republicans have wanted all along. Democrats in Congress are going to keep fighting to do everything we can to support women across the country—including expanding access to free contraception, protecting women’s health data, and passing the Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine the right to abortion into federal law.
“Women are going to suffer and die because of this decision. Republicans are going to have to answer for this in November.
“Justice Thomas has signaled this is not the end of their assault on our individual rights and freedoms. Everyone must awaken to the fact that this is just the tip of the iceberg. We must rally together and elect more Democrats in November to protect our Democracy and our civil rights.”
Senator Hirono is a staunch advocate for abortion rights and reproductive freedom. Earlier this week, she introduced the My Body, My Data Act, legislation to protect personal reproductive health data by minimizing the information collected and retained, and preventing that information from being disclosed or misused; the bill would protect reproductive health data from sources like fertility tracking apps. Senator Hirono also hosted a roundtable with patients from across the country to hear directly about how Roe and the right to abortion have shaped their lives—and to make clear what’s at stake with the Supreme Court set to end Americans’ constitutional right to abortion any day.
Earlier this month, she met with reproductive health care leaders and providers from Hawaii to hear about the challenges they face and to discuss the importance of protecting abortion access. Senator Hirono also introduced the Affordability is Access Act (AAA) to help ensure access to over-the-counter birth control options, in an effort to allow people to plan their own reproductive lives, on their own terms. She also advocated to protect servicemembers’ access to abortion care. In May, Senator Hirono delivered a floor speech emphasizing the need to defend abortion rights. Earlier this year, she introduced a resolution to honor abortion providers and thanked them in a floor speech on National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. Senator Hirono also cosponsored S.1975, the Senate companion to the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act (H.R.3755), which would protect the right to access abortion care throughout the United States.
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