CENTER FOR POPULAR DEMOCRACY ACTION ON LEAKED ROE OPINION: WE MUST ACT NOW AND PASS THE JUDICIARY ACT, END THE FILIBUSTER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2022

Contact: danielle@newheightscommunications.com 

WASHINGTON, DC – Statement from Analilia Mejia, Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Action, on leaked SCOTUS draft overturning Roe: 

“Like countless others, I have made the choice to terminate a pregnancy. This was not a decision taken lightly, nor one I should have made with anyone but my doctor. The day I learned I had to choose between my health and continuing a pregnancy, I was counseled by my mother, who told me the only shame would be to not make the decision that was right for me, my health and my family. Even though we have long expected this, the leaked SCOTUS opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is a devastating blow to our freedoms and our bodily autonomy. We know that attacks on abortion harm communities of color and poor people the most. Those who can afford it will always be able to travel to and afford needed health care. Those who cannot will be left at the mercy of systems that neither see nor care for our well-being. History has shown that reproductive control is a longstanding tactic utilized to uphold and enforce white supremacy. There is no gender equality without reproductive freedom and the right to choose our own futures. We cannot overstate what is at stake in this moment. 

“We must act now and expand the court. We need to pass the Judiciary Act and abolish the filibuster – our right to our own bodies is on the line, the ramifications of which are broad, cruel, and devastating. Make no mistake that the end of Roe could mean the end of countless critical, hard-won civil liberties and the right to privacy we hold dear. Time and time again, we have seen Democrats use abortion rights as a campaign issue and fail to deliver on their promises to protect and expand our right to reproductive freedom. We deserve leadership that represents the vast majority of Americans who believe abortion should be accessible and affordable to all who require this critical healthcare. 

“This draft opinion was just that – a draft – and we still have time to act. Abortion is legal today and we are continuing the fight alongside our partners to keep it that way, no matter what.”

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The Center for Popular Democracy Action works to create equity, opportunity, and a dynamic democracy in partnership with high-impact base-building organizations, organizing alliances, and progressive unions. We work on campaigns that promote a pro-worker, pro-immigrant, racial and economic justice agenda and win victories to improve people’s lives.