WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senator Jack Reed released the following statement:

“Let’s be clear: a radical faction of Supreme Court justices are taking away a right from every woman in America.  This is an unprecedented decision that flies in the face of the claims of recent Supreme Court nominees that they would defer to long-standing precedent.   This is six justices taking away a Constitutional right from millions of women and putting in its place a patchwork system that makes women second-class citizens. The ruling sends a disturbing signal that a radical Court will now allow states to selectively restrict or infringe on other rights.

“This is a significant blow to equal rights for women.  Because of this ruling, access to health care and the ability to receive appropriate treatment will now depend on what state you live in, your economic status, and the scrutiny and judgment of others. For women seeking reproductive health services, there is no longer a right to privacy or equal protection under the law.  This appears to be part of a coordinated attempt by partisan ideologues on this Court, aided by partisan Republican leaders in Congress, to roll back people’s fundamental rights.  And, no one should be under the impression that Republicans will drop their efforts to ban abortion nationally knowing the Court will favor such a law.

“Fortunately, Rhode Island law serves as a shield to blunt the impact of this decision on our residents.  But that is not the same as a Constitutionally-guaranteed right.  Laws can change and state laws can be pre-empted by federal law.  That is why the Court’s ruling overturning this basic Constitutional protection is so corrosive to women’s rights everywhere.

“Women should have the right to make their own choices about their lives, health, and future without interference from partisan justices or politicians. Until today, they did.  While I will continue to do everything within my power to pass legislation in the U.S. Senate to codify a woman’s right to choose, I hope more Americans – men and women – who believe in women’s reproductive health rights will make their voices heard at the ballot box.  That is the only remedy for this poisonous ruling and the divisive agenda that Republican leaders and the Court’s majority have embraced.”