| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 24, 2022 |
PRESS CONTACT Ben Cook ben.cook@firesidecampaigns.com |
Health Care Voices Founder Laura Packard on the Overturning of Roe v. Wade
A conservative Supreme Court removes federal protections of women’s health care and right to choose
DENVER — Over a month after the initial draft opinion was leaked, the Supreme Court has ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case which affirmed that access to a safe and legal abortion is a Constitutional right for Americans. The power and responsibility to protect the right to abortion access now belongs to the states. This right, and reproductive health care in general, is now under constant threat. A number of states already have laws on the books that will go into effect immediately, making abortion a crime in those states and, in states like Missouri, emboldened legislators are going after contraception as well.
Health Care Voices Founder and Affordable Care Act Advocate Laura Packard issued the following statement:
“Health care decisions are personal choices, ones that belong in the hands of individuals and their providers, not politicians. 49 years ago, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade’s decision was a milestone for women’s rights, protecting the right to choose and establishing access to safe, legal abortions as a Constitutional right.”
“The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which allows the State of Mississippi to enforce its harmful 15-week ban on abortion, represents a devastating blow to both women’s rights and self-determination in health care decision-making. 36 million women and girls are now at risk of losing abortion access in their state, effectively stripping them of their fundamental right to health care. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the ultra-conservative Supreme Court has rolled back nearly five decades of precedent protecting reproductive autonomy and has opened the door for other state legislatures eager to further restrict and ban abortion.”
“However, we will not be silent while our rights are taken away. Now is the time to fight for a better future, where all health care, including abortion, is affordable and accessible. We call upon Congress to pursue protections and support for patients, abortion funds, clinics and health care providers, as well as advancing state protections through laws, constitutional reforms and ballot initiatives.”
Laura Packard is a small business owner and health care advocate, and founder of Health Care Voices, organizing adults with serious medical conditions. She is a stage 4 cancer survivor, and the Affordable Care Act saved her life. If you’re interested in connecting with Laura to discuss Roe v. Wade, women’s health care or America’s health care system more generally, please reach out to ben.cook@firesidecampaigns.com.
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