Press Release
Posted:
Napa – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) released the following statement after the reporting of a drafted decision from the Supreme Court overruling Roe v. Wade and calling for Planned Parenthood v. Casey to be overruled.
“The right to an abortion has been settled law for nearly 50 years since Roe was established back in 1973,” said Thompson. “The draft Supreme Court decision is deeply troubling and problematic as it would allow states to criminalize abortion and ban it, even in the case of rape, incest, and threat to the life of the mother. The decision to have an abortion should be made by a woman in consultation with her doctor, her family, and her faith, but this draft opinion would upend that fundamental right and put reproductive care at risk for millions of women.
“Both Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their confirmation hearings that Roe was precedent and has been reaffirmed multiple times. Justice Kavanaugh said that precedent ‘is not just a judicial policy…it is constitutionally dictated to pay attention and pay heed to rules of precedent.’ If Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh are part of this majority decision, they both would be doing a complete 180 degree turn from their confirmation hearings where they stated they believed in precedent and the rule of law under oath.
“This drafted decision clearly demonstrates the pressing need for the Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine the right to accessible reproductive care for every American.”