(WTXL) — Politicians in the Big Bend and southwest Georgia reacted to the United States Supreme Court's ruling Friday on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade's stance on abortion rights.
Republican U.S. congressman Neal Dunn (Florida-02):
“The U.S. Supreme Court made the right decision today in protecting the right to life. Every life is precious, and the lives of the most vulnerable must be protected,” said Congressman Dunn. “After facing the wrath of the Radical Left for the past few months, I recognize that this was not an easy decision; however, the justices upheld their Constitutional duty and gave the power back to the states, as it should be. This ruling is a win for states’ rights and babies nationwide.”
Democratic U.S. congressman Al Lawson (Florida-05):
“Today is a dismal day for the American people. The Republican-controlled Supreme Court achieved their goal of stripping away a long-established constitutional right that provide Americans’ the ability to make their own health care decisions by voting to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“Every woman has the fundamental human right to reproductive care. It’s critical that women can make decisions about their health with their doctors without government intrusion. Lawmakers should not be allowed to control people’s personal medical decisions and impose on their bodily freedoms.
“Make no mistake: Republicans’ ultimate goal is a nationwide ban on abortion, and they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed women’s freedom to control their bodies, lives and futures. Abortion bans disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income people.
“The only way citizens can ensure additional liberties are not stolen is by heading to the ballot box this November.”
Democratic U.S. congressman Sanford Bishop (Georgia-02):
“The Supreme Court has reversed over 50 years of judicial precedent and redefined the Constitution to remove a woman’s right to choose. Today's opinion undermines women's autonomy to their own bodies and personal healthcare choices.
“These personal healthcare choices should ultimately rest with a woman, her God and her doctor—not with politicians in 50 different state legislatures that may likely encourage Americans to spy on their neighbors’ for a bounty; stalk women, their friends and supporters; criminalize doctors and otherwise limit access to healthcare.
“While I believe abortion should be rare, it should be legal, safe, and an available choice in cases of rape, incest or to protect the life or health of a woman.”
Republican U.S. congressman Austin Scott (Georgia-08):
“There is no disputing that life begins at conception, and today the Supreme Court protected the sanctity of life for future generations by overturning Roe v. Wade.”
Republican U.S. senator Rick Scott (Florida):
“The importance of today’s decision by the Supreme Court cannot be overstated. For nearly 50 years, our country endured flawed legal reasoning that invented an implied constitutional right to abortion while stripping authority from lawmakers according to the will of the people. Today, the Court correctly interpreted the Constitution, defended human dignity and the foundational principle of federalism, and rightly declared that there is no constitutional right to end the life of an unborn child.
“I firmly believe that life begins at conception and that every child deserves to be welcomed into this world with open and loving arms. Abortion ends a life. It is abhorrent and has no place in our society. While we celebrate the Court’s latest ruling, the fight to protect the sanctity of life is not over. Lawmakers and the pro-life movement have the responsibility to make adoption more accessible and affordable, and do everything in our power to meet the needs of struggling women and their families so they can choose life. We cannot stop fighting until every life, born and unborn, is valued.”
Democratic U.S. senator Jon Ossoff (Georgia):
“With its decision in Dobbs, the Court has stripped American women of autonomy over their most personal health care decisions.
“The Court has given license to prosecute and imprison women for making the intensely personal decision to end a pregnancy — even when their health is at risk, even in the first hours or weeks after conception, and even when pregnancy results from rape — and to prosecute doctors and nurses whose private relationships with their patients have been protected by Roe v. Wade for half a century.
“Under Georgia’s HB481, the Court’s decision means Georgia women and medical providers could face prosecution for ending a pregnancy as early as six weeks after conception – before many women even know they are pregnant. This decision also creates risk of investigation and prosecution for women who miscarry and will force some women seeking access to abortion toward unsafe, unqualified alternatives that put their lives at risk.
“The Court’s reasoning imperils other longstanding precedents upon which Americans rely for privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties — including precedents that establish rights to contraception and to interracial and same-sex marriage.
“Here is the inescapable fact: the Justices’ determination to demolish these long-established protections means our only defenses are at the ballot box, in our state legislatures, and in the Congress — where I will continue to fight for the principles of Roe v. Wade and the privacy of women’s health care.”
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis:
By properly interpreting the Constitution, the Supreme Court has answered the prayers of millions upon millions of Americans. pic.twitter.com/CsPFpNnUPk
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 24, 2022
Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp:
— Governor Brian P. Kemp (@GovKemp) June 24, 2022
