WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade. Senator Cardin is an original cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (S. 1975) that would codify the right to choose in federal law.

“If the draft opinion striking down Roe v. Wade stands, it will put the health, wellbeing and constitutional rights of women across this nation in great jeopardy. Should the court continue on this path, people in more than half of the states would immediately lose access to safe, legal abortion. Low-income families and those without the means to leave their homes for care in states like Maryland will be the most burdened.

“No level of government, whether federal, state or local, nor Congress, the President, or the Supreme Court, should interfere in personal health decisions. Despite testifying before Congress under oath that Supreme Court precedents should stand, the recently appointed conservative members of the court arrived with an agenda to overturn Roe and now they are making that a reality. Senate Republicans bear responsibility for confirming justices far outside of the legal mainstream, as well as for changing the rules for considering vacancies after the death of Justice Scalia compared to the death of Justice Ginsburg.

“Congress and the Biden administration must take swift action to protect personal reproductive and health rights for Americans. From Maryland to Mississippi, Florida to Washington State, there should be a common standard for self-determination of health decisions for women and all individuals.”

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