Photos: YouTube Screenshots
The Dobbs Supreme Court decision last year which overturned Roe v. Wade was a major blow against human freedom and women’s rights – and a giant step forward for reactionary politics and sexism. We are now seeing how that decision plays out in the real world.
In Texas, a woman named Kate Cox was 20 weeks pregnant with a fetus that doctors told her would almost certainly die. Her health was endangered and she was informed that, if she carried the pregnancy to term, she might not ever be able to have another baby. And yet, despite her wishes and doctors’ medical opinions, the state of Texas has said that she cannot have an abortion in that state. She was recently forced to travel out of Texas to have that procedure.
If we believe in women’s rights, and if we believe in the right of people to be able to control their own bodies and access medical care, we have got to aggressively go forward to codify Roe v. Wade.
That’s what the American people want. That’s what Congress must do. In the year 2024, we must make certain that it is women, and not politicians, who determine what happens to their bodies.
And we must be extremely alert to this issue right now. Soon, the Supreme Court will once again be in a position to undermine abortion access and women’s reproductive rights. As of this week, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on Mifepristone, an abortion pill used in around half of all abortions nationwide. The outcome of this case could make it more difficult for women to access Mifepristone when seeking abortion and put women’s health and safety at even greater risk.
As you well know, the decision to get an abortion is a deeply personal one. It is not up to the government or extremist politicians who want to control women’s bodies and reproductive health. It’s not up to those reactionary elements in our society who, once again, want to reduce the women of our country to second-class citizens.
It is no exaggeration to say that the consequences of the Dobbs decision are deadly and are already threatening the lives of women. The reality is that banning legal, medically-assisted abortion forces people to seek out risky, unsafe, and even life-threatening care. It forces women to delay lifesaving medical care like chemotherapy or continue unsafe pregnancies that could literally kill them. In a country with already unacceptably high levels of maternal mortality, even more women will die during childbirth or live the rest of their lives with dangerous health care conditions caused by unsafe pregnancies, labor, and delivery.
From a political perspective, I must tell you that the hypocrisy surrounding this issue is something to behold. Every day I hear right-wing senators rant about the need for “small government,” about “getting the government off the backs of the people,” about “ending regulations,” about “letting people do what they want!” That’s their mantra.
Yet, when it comes to women throughout this country having the right to make this very personal health care decision, the view of right-wing politicians is that women do not deserve this right. Their view is that the government should expand its reach and make it for them, that the government should decide what is best for every woman, every couple, and every family in this country.
And by the way, I know that many people see abortion rights as a so-called “women’s issue.” I do not. This is a human rights issue and an economic issue.
From the time of the Roe v. Wade decision nearly 50 years ago, right-wing politicians in state after state have done everything in their power to try to reverse the decision and undermine access to abortion for millions of women across the country.
They’ve done it by passing legislation to restrict or ban abortion and restrict insurance coverage of abortion.
They’ve done it with the Hyde Amendment which unfairly prevents low-income women from having abortion covered by Medicaid, as well as women in the military covered by Tricare and women veterans getting care through the VA.
They’ve done it by attacking Planned Parenthood and shutting down clinics that provide comprehensive primary health care services.
They’ve done it by intimidating women who need to access these clinics and the doctors and staff who work there.
They’ve done it by passing targeted restrictions on health care centers – often including medically unnecessary regulations – with the goal of shutting down abortion providers that are unable to comply.
They’ve done it by threatening to strip doctors of their licenses for providing this life-saving care to their patients, in direct conflict with their oath to do no harm.
They’ve done it by making women travel extremely long distances to access abortion, or forcing them to wait weeks for an appointment.
And now, the Dobbs decision by the Supreme Court has undermined the fundamental right of women to make decisions about their own bodies, their safety, and their futures. This decision has put women’s health and well-being at risk while allowing states to bring legal action against women seeking abortion and doctors that perform them.
We simply cannot go back to the days when women had to risk their lives in order to end a pregnancy.
One of the major issues of the 2024 campaign will be abortion rights and the need for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade. We must continue to stand together and work to elect candidates, from the White House on down, who are prepared to guarantee women the right to safe and legal abortion.
Independent Senator Bernie Sanders represents the state of Vermont.
