We Have a Powerful Majority on Our Side

Every poll released since the Supreme Court ruled on June 24 to overturn Roe v. Wade and take away our constitutional right to abortion shows that the majority of Americans oppose rolling back this right. The American people believe the decision makes the U.S. a worse place to live, and most women think the ruling will make women’s lives worse.

Abortion rights supporters are outraged and have taken to the streets. On the day of the decision, hundreds of thousands protested at nearly 600 events, and hundreds took part in civil disobedience at the Supreme Court. Their dedicated efforts to support abortion rights kicked off our Summer of Dissent. And the movement is only going to get louder from here.

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood and fellow abortion rights groups have filed litigation in a states across the country, temporarily blocking abortion bans in many of them. Every day that abortion is legal in a state is one more day that patients are protected from the horror of being denied the care they need.

Several States Are Protecting Abortion Rights

By taking their outrage and compassion to the streets and statehouses, abortion rights advocates  have pushed lawmakers to pass proactive measures to protect and expand abortion access with some success.

Learn more about victories at the state level.

On Aug. 2, Kansas voters rejected a ballot measure that would have eliminated any right to abortion in the state’s constitution and opened the door to dangerous abortion bans. The vote demonstrates that voters across the country do not want politicians interfering in their health care decisions. 

Biden Administration Has Taken Numerous Steps to Protect Abortion Access

Lawsuit from the DOJ Against Idaho Over the State’s Abortion Ban

The Department of Justice’s lawsuit argues that Idaho’s six-week abortion ban violates EMTALA – the federal law that requires patients recieve emergency medical care, including patients who need an abortion.

Executive Order

On Aug. 3, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at:

• Supporting people who are being forced to travel out of state to access abortion,
• Making sure that health care providers follow federal non-discrimination law, and 
• Ensuring federal agencies are measuring the devastating consequences of the loss of abortion access. 

We’ve Come Back From the Brink Before

We also look to history to give us hope. The last time abortion bans spread in states across the country was around 1900. It took until 1973 to get all of those abortion bans overturned. But through it, a movement was born.

The abortion rights movement has faced down challenges that once seemed impossible to overcome. So, how can we reclaim our rights now? Together, we will grieve and nurture our hope. We’ll take action when politicians ban abortion. We’ll use every ounce of our collective courage to help ensure that every person can control their own body and decide their own future.