24″ June “2022”AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
President Joe Biden condemns top court decision overturning nearly 50 years of abortion rights in the United States
- US Supreme Court overturns landmark Roe v Wade decision, upending nearly five decades of abortion access in the country.
- In a 6-3 vote, conservative-dominated top court rules the US Constitution “does not confer a right to abortion”.
- US President Joe Biden says Supreme Court decision marks “sad day” for the nation.
- Reproductive rights advocates say millions of people will no longer have access to abortion services in the US
US companies pledge to help employees obtain abortions
A handful of large US corporations have said they will support employees seeking abortions who live in states that have, or could, ban the procedure.
Walt Disney, Microsoft, and social media giant Meta – Facebook’s parent company – said that such assistance will include reimbursements or stipends to pay for travel expenses for employees who may need to travel out-of-state for care.
Such processes could be complicated by conservative lawmakers who have vowed to crack down travel to other states for abortions. Meta said it is assessing how it can help employees who will need to travel “given the legal complexities involved”.
For its part, Netflix said it will offer a $10,000 lifetime allowance to cover travel expenses for full-time employees and dependents seeking abortion care
Austin says US Defense Department examining decision
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has said the department is examining the Supreme Court decision and evaluating its policies “to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law”.
“I am committed to taking care of our people and ensuring the readiness and resilience of our Force,” he tweeted.
The full Supreme Court decision
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe has come in the context of a legal challenge to a Mississippi state law banning abortion at 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the only abortion clinic remaining in Mississippi, challenged the 2018 law and had the support of the Biden administration. The legislation allows abortions when there is a “medical emergency” or a “severe fetal abnormality” but does not have an exception for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.
A federal judge in 2018 struck the law down, citing the Roe precedent, and the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019 reached the same conclusion.
But the Supreme Court has now upheld the Mississippi law. Read the full ruling here (PDF).
WHO reaffirms ‘safe abortion care is essential’
Without naming the US specifically, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said “safe abortion care is essential to protect the health of women & girls everywhere”.
“Removing access to #abortion care will put more women & girls at risk of illegal abortions and the consequent safety issues that would bring,” the group tweeted
European leaders react to news of Roe reversal
Leaders from around the world have shared their thoughts on the US Supreme Court’s abortion decision, with French President Emmanuel Macron expressing “solidarity with the women whose liberties are being undermined” by the top court.
Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said the ruling ushers in “one of the darkest days for women’s rights” in her lifetime, adding that “the immediate consequences will be suffered by women in the US – but this will embolden anti-abortion & anti-women forces in other countries too”.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said that his city “stands with the women of America, whose most basic rights and freedoms are threatened by this ruling
Decision may be ‘political gift’ for Biden administration: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Kimberley Halkett, reporting from Washington, has said the striking down of Roe could prove to be a “political gift” for the Biden administration amid low approval ratings.
“He’s got low marks because of the economy. Americans are angry for record high inflation. In a way this is a bit of a political gift,” Halkett said.
“In order to preserve these reproductive rights, [US voters] may in fact vote for [Biden’s Democratic Party] and this could be a political win. That may be another reason that Joe Biden has decided not to take executive action and hand this to the legislators and the people in November.”
Top Republican welcomes decision as ‘courageous and correct’
US Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has welcomed the ruling as “courageous and correct” and “an historic victory for the Constitution and for the most vulnerable in our society”.
“For 50 years, states have been unable to enact even modest protections for unborn children,” McConnell said in a statement.
“Not anymore. Now the American people get their voice back.”
Vatican praises US Supreme Court ruling
The Vatican’s Academy for Life has praised the US Supreme Court’s decision on abortion, saying it challenged the whole world to reflect on life issues.
The Vatican department also said in a statement that the defence of human life could not be confined to individual rights because life is a matter of “broad social significance”.
“The fact that a large country with a long democratic tradition has changed its position on this issue also challenges the whole world,” the academy said
Decision ‘especially dangerous’ for religious minorities: Muslim Advocates
Muslim Advocates, a civil rights organisation in the US, has raised alarm about the Supreme Court’s decision, saying it “is especially dangerous to those belonging to minority religions like Islam”.
“How far down this path the court will go is not certain, but the rise of anti-Muslim government acts like the Muslim Ban and state adoption of anti-sharia legislation has shown that Muslims are especially targeted by those moved by paranoia and misrepresentation,” the group said.
“When that paranoia is combined with state power, the results can be devastating to the civil and human rights of all Muslims in this country.
Only killing women with this decision’: Abortion rights advocate
Molly Kolb, a 28-year-old teacher who lives in Washington, DC, has said the Supreme Court’s decision will have wide-reaching effects.
“For the public school system, for the foster care system, for just women’s rights in general, I’m just really heartbroken,” she told Al Jazeera outside the Supreme Court, her voice breaking.
Kolb was among hundreds of mostly young women gathered outside the top court, which has been fenced off. The crowd was chanting slogans and waving signs that read, “My body, my choice” and “Shame on you SCOTUS”.Read more here.
Biden says ‘Roe on the ballot’ in November midterms
Biden has promised to go on fighting for reproductive rights but said no executive order can guarantee a woman’s right to choose.
He urged voters to send lawmakers to Congress who will work to codify abortion rights as the law of the land.
“This fall, Roe is on the ballot. Personal freedoms are on the ballot,” Biden said, referring to the upcoming midterm elections.
What happens when women are denied access to abortion?
When Ann walked into her doctor’s office six years ago, she expected to schedule an abortion. Instead, the college graduate in her early 20s learned she was between 23 and 25 weeks pregnant. With California’s cutoff set at about six months, she was turned away.
“I was told flat-out that there was no other option,” Ann, whose name has been changed for privacy reasons, told Al Jazeera. “I remember crying, gasping. It was such life-changing news that I was not expecting to get.”
Without access to the abortion she wanted, she carried the pregnancy to term. At eight months, she developed severe eclampsia, experienced seizures, and nearly died. “Where we’re going as a country with abortion access,” she said, “there’s going to be more people like me.”
Read more here.
‘Catastrophe’: Rights groups slam top court decision
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other rights groups have slammed the decision, saying millions of people will no longer have access to abortion in the US.
“Today’s decision is a gender, racial and economic justice catastrophe with deadly consequences. Women and people who can become pregnant have been forced into a second-class status,” the ACLU said on Twitter.
Today marks a grim milestone in the history of the United States,” Tarah Demant at Amnesty International USA also said in a statement. “Millions of people who can become pregnant in the United States now face a future where they will not be able to make deeply personal choices that affect their bodies, their future, and the well-being of their families.”
Radical Supreme Court’ endangering Americans’ rights: Pelosi
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has condemned the decision by the Supreme Court, saying the health and safety of people in the US were at risk.
“This morning, the radical Supreme Court is eviscerating Amer犀利士 icans’ rights and endangering their health and safety. But Congress will continue to act to overcome this extremism and protect the American people,” Pelosi told reporters.
“Today the Republican-controlled Supreme Court has achieved their dark, extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions.”
Anti-abortion activists celebrate outside top court in Washington, DC
Anti-abortion activists have gathered to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade. The crowds erupted in cheers as news of the ruling spread.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Emma Craig, 36, of Pro Life San Francisco.
“Abortion is the biggest tragedy of our generation and in 50 years, we’ll look back at the 50 years we’ve been under Roe v Wade with shame.”
Read the full decision here (PDF).
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s live coverage of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade abortion ruling.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES