WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after the United State Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning 50 years of precedent affirming the constitutional right to an abortion:
“This decision is awful. Throwing out nearly 50 years of settled law to eliminate fundamental human rights is outrageous and an insult to our democracy, where a significant majority of Americans wanted Roe to stand. I share the sadness, fear, and anger of that majority today.
“This ruling takes Wisconsin back to 1849, criminalizing abortion with no exception for rape or incest. Earlier this week, Governor Evers called the legislature back for a special session to repeal this antiquated and cruel law, but right-wing extremist Republicans gaveled in and out immediately without rectifying this terrible wrong. The deeply personal decision to terminate a pregnancy should be made by individuals and their doctors, not politicians.
“Though this extreme ruling is rooted in misogyny and disproportionately impacts women, it also undermines every American’s right to bodily autonomy and threatens other essential protections for privacy and self-determination. Justice Thomas’s concurring opinion calls on the Court to revisit prior rulings on marriage equality, contraception, and private relationships between consenting adults.
“The fight for basic human rights like abortion doesn’t end here. The Senate must codify Roe today and not a day later.”
