MADISON – Today, State Treasurer and candidate for U.S. Senate Sarah Godlewski is demanding the U.S. Senate take immediate action to protect abortion rights in America as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. If Roe is overturned, 26 states could immediately move to ban safe, legal abortions — and here in Wisconsin, an existing 172-year old abortion ban would go back into effect. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 2021 has been “the worst legislative year ever for U.S. abortion rights,” with nearly 600 abortion restrictions introduced and more than 100 laws enacted across the country.
“The U.S. Senate can put a stop to this today, but anti-choice politicians like Ron Johnson are abusing the filibuster to block any effort to protect reproductive freedom, and Democrats aren’t fighting back hard enough. Instead, they are relying on a conservative-majority Supreme Court to respect nearly 50 years of precedent and protect our rights,” said State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski. “The future of Roe now hangs on a shoestring. Democrats need to stop being complacent, end the filibuster, and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act. Too many lives depend on it.”
In June, Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law, securing the right to abortions across the country. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the legislation in September. Since then, there’s been no action taken by the Senate.
One month ago, on the same day as the Supreme Court hearing around Texas’ SB 8 abortion ban, the Sarah for Wisconsin campaign launched a six-figure, early voter contact campaign targeting Democrats across Wisconsin, beginning with “Afterthought.” In the digital ad, Godlewski called out politicians for “treating reproductive rights as an afterthought.”
