WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Maryland’s senior senator, offered the following remarks on the upcoming 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court decision was rendered on January 22, 1973.
“This week, we should be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that positively redefined a fundamental right to privacy in this country, guaranteeing – we thought – Americans the right to reproductive health freedom. Instead, thanks to one of the worst decisions in Supreme Court history, we mark the first year where individuals in this nation no longer have a constitutionally protected right to make the best, most informed health care decisions for themselves without interference from the government. We continue to see the effects of last June’s Supreme Court Dobbs decision, which broke legal precedent and stripped away the rights of Americans rather than upholding and expanding them.
“Not satisfied with reversing decades of progress, Republicans continue to take whatever measures possible to restrict and penalize abortion access. Many even are pushing for a national abortion ban, despite the fact that the vast majority of Americans support abortion access and reproductive health freedom. In the face of these attacks, we’ve seen voters in states from Kansas to Kentucky use the ballot box to protect these rights.
“I want to applaud the Biden-Harris administration for the steps it has taken to protect and expand reproductive health care services. I remain committed to fighting against anti-choice efforts in Congress and restore individual freedoms for Americans wherever they reside. Congress must do its part and restore Roe v. Wade as federal law.”
