Democrat says Roe downfall could lead to attacks on birth control
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) said that if the landmark Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade is overturned, there could be attacks on birth control pills.
The comments from Lee come after Politico first reported a draft Supreme Court ruling that would overturn the 1973 decision.
Lee, in a tweet initially written on April 25 but retweeted after Politico's report, said overturning Roe v. Wade is “about controlling & criminalizing our bodies.”
“PSA: if Roe falls, your constitutional right to birth control will also be in jeopardy. This has never just been about abortion. It’s about controlling & criminalizing our bodies,” she wrote on Twitter.
In a separate tweet, Lee said the reported draft ruling striking down Roe v. Wade was “horrific news” and “shocking.”
“We all knew the odds, but it is nonetheless shocking to see a Court move towards overturning 50 years of precedent in a stunning revocation of our right to have an abortion. But just as important: this is NOT an official ruling. Abortion is still legal,” she wrote.
The revelation sent shockwaves through the country Monday evening when Politico published a draft majority ruling for a case involving a Mississippi law that prohibits abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The majority draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, says the decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey should be overturned and do not have grounds in the Constitution.
If the document reported by Politico is accurate and justices do not change their positions in the time between now and when the final ruling is handed down, the overturning of Roe v. Wade could spell trouble for contraceptives in the U.S.
The State reported in October that the case threatens rights to utilize birth control.
Some House Democrats are now pressing the Senate to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify Roe v. Wade.
The House approved the legislation in the fall, but it faces an upward battle in the Senate: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined Republicans in February and opposed the bill, leaving Democrats short of the votes needed to move the bill toward a debate in the upper chamber.