Rep. Greg Stanton, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said the Supreme Court’s likely decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will have a sweeping impact in states like Arizona during today’s hearing on “Revoking Your Rights: The Ongoing Crisis in Abortion Care Access.”
Arizona is already one of the most restrictive states in the country for abortion access and Gov. Doug Ducey recently signed an abortion ban bill that provides no safe harbor for women who are victims of sexual assault.
Stanton delivered the following statement at the hearing:
“Like most of my colleagues, I was shocked to learn the news that a draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health had leaked from the Supreme Court. But as I read that opinion, my shock turned to disbelief, and my disbelief turned to outrage.
“It’s been nearly 50 years since the Court decided Roe v. Wade, and in that half century, the American people have recognized the constitutional right to an abortion. The constitutional right to make an informed medical decision with their doctor. The constitutional right to exercise control of their own body.
“The American people support that right. I have learned during my time in public life that although there are wide-ranging personal opinions about abortion, most Americans believe the government has no business getting between a woman and her doctor. They believe that government has no business forcing a woman who does not want to be pregnant to remain pregnant.
“They know at their core that it is wrong and morally reprehensible for the government to force a victim of sexual assault to carry her rapist’s child
“That is what is at stake.
“If Roe is overturned as we expect it will be, that will be the future for women in many states—including Arizona. Arizona’s governor has signed an anti-abortion law that provides no safe harbor for victims of rape or incest. Some state legislatures working with anti-Roe activists are gearing up to go even further—outlawing abortion altogether.
“The American people don’t want that. They support Roe. They support the right to choose to have an abortion. In my state, which is evenly split among party lines, more than 70 percent of voters oppose making abortion illegal.
“So that might explain why, up to this point, my Republican colleagues have been more concerned with the leak itself than what the draft decision actually says, and what it would mean for our country.
“This issue is about choice. It’s about self-determination. And it’s about liberty. Americans believe in those freedoms, they rely upon them, and that’s why the fight to protect them is so important.
“Should the draft opinion become the decision of the Court, the rationale used to overturn Roe could easily be used to undermine other fundamental rights—including the right to access contraception and the right to marry who you love.”
Video of Stanton’s remarks is available HERE.