JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Several Missouri representatives and legislators have released statements regarding the Supreme Court draft ruling that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Tuesday morning, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt released his own statement, which can be found here.
Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer said in a tweet, “We’ve lost more than 60 million lives since Roe v. Wade. That tragic decision is the epitome of legislating from the bench- going against the lawmaking process specifically laid out in the Constitution. Justice Alito’s draft opinion not only restores the Constitutional rights of our citizens and the legislative process, it would give millions of children the chance to live the life God intended.”
Congresswoman Cori Bush tweeted, “Abolish the filibuster. Codify Roe. Expand the Supreme Court. Protect abortion rights by any means necessary. We need all of the above. This is an emergency.”
Representative Emanuel Cleaver tweeted a response:
“Today, tens of millions of Americans woke up to the realization that a constitutional right they’ve maintained for half a century may soon be stripped from them entirely, begging the question: what next?
“If the Supreme Court ultimately makes the outrageous decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, setting women’s rights back nearly five decades, America will soon be less free, less safe, and extraordinarily more divided than at any point since Roe was first decided.
“Such a decision would not only contradict decades of legal precedent and shatter whatever confidence is left in the highest court in the land, it would, most importantly, strip women of their bodily autonomy and unquestionably lead to unnecessary deaths of young women, particularly women of color, due to forced pregnancy.
“It is important that the women of America understand this is only a draft ruling, and that reproductive freedom still exists in America—for now. If you are in need of health care services, you can still receive reproductive care while the Supreme Court hopefully reconsiders the ridiculously misguided draft opinion released last night.
“I was proud to support the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act, and I will continue to urge my colleagues in the upper chamber to immediately pass this bill to protect reproductive freedom and a woman’s right to quality reproductive care across the country.
“This potential assault on our constitution and the rights of women everywhere is so out of step with legal precedent, popular opinion, and the past statements of the justices themselves that this could only be considered a political ruling to push a partisan agenda. Failure to respond to such an egregious decision would only lead to future attacks on the civil rights that Americans hold dear.
“As we continue the fight to uphold reproductive freedom for the women of America, we should also be greatly concerned and alarmed about the status of voting rights, gay marriage, fair housing, and equitable treatment of immigrants, to name a few inalienable rights, which are now in the intensive care unit of the Supreme Court.”
