Adams Decries “Fundamentally Wrong” Supreme Court Decision on Abortion

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today at an 11:30 AM press conference, Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-02), Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06), Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02) and Calla Hales of A Preferred Women’s Health Center spoke out about today’s Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which will have widespread consequences not only for women and parents across America, but also for the LGBTQ community and many others.

Video of the press conference is available for download here, and on YouTube here.

“Today’s decision is fundamentally wrong. This decision will affect everyone, but the impact will fall hardest on who already face barriers to care: Black and Brown women, those who live in rural areas or have lower incomes and can’t afford to cross state lines for care, young people and LGBTQ people, and women in abusive relationships,” said Congresswoman Adams. “Moving forward, we need to protect abortion providers and support patients and organizers who are working to get our neighbors the care they need. At home in North Carolina, our governor must continue to protect and expand access to abortion, so no one is denied the health care they need. I will work with legislators and advocates to fight any proposal from the North Carolina General Assembly that uses this ruling as an opportunity to turn back the clock for women.”

Congresswoman Adams’ full remarks as prepared for delivery are below:

Today is a sad day. The Supreme Court has overturned the constitutional right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade.

I’m thankful to Congresswoman Deborah Ross, Congresswoman Kathy Manning, my dear friend Calla Hales of A Preferred Women’s Health Center, and all of my colleagues on the call for taking the time out to talk about one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in our lifetimes.

First, for those of you in the state of North Carolina, let me say loudly and clearly abortion care is still legal today in the State of North Carolina, as well as many other states.

However, this abhorrent ruling doesn’t end with abortion. Justice Alito writes in his opinion that overturning Roe v. Wade and Casey should be used to invalidate the entire idea of a right to privacy and leads Justice Thomas to saying we should reconsider Obergefell, Griswold, and Lawrence. That means this Supreme Court is comfortable overturning the constitutional right to Marriage Equality, the right to use contraceptives, and the very right for same-sex couples to have relationships.

So I’m angry. I’m angry as Hell today. Because this decision is fundamentally wrong.

This decision will affect everyone, but the impact will fall hardest on who already face barriers to care: Black and Brown women, those who live in rural areas or have lower incomes and can’t afford to cross state lines for care, young people and LGBTQ people, and women in abusive relationships.

These five justices were appointed by two presidents who lost the popular vote. Yet, they have overturned what was a 7-2 decision in 1973, a decision that 69 percent of Americans across the political spectrum support today and that Americans have considered settled for half a century.

The Supreme Court has now greenlit forced pregnancy, taking away freedom for pregnant people to make this intensely personal decision for themselves, and given it away to politicians.

Every situation and every pregnancy is different. We should trust people, not politicians, to make their own decisions about their health and their lives.

The Court's majority has no respect for other precedents that have been won in recent decades: the right to interracial and same-sex marriage, the right of queer people to exist in public, the right to contraception, and more. 

House Democrats have passed bills to protect LGBTQ rights and abortion rights, as well as to end discriminatory insurance coverage bans on abortion to expand access — but all have been blocked by Republicans in the Senate. Those Senators who voted no have an obligation to reconsider their decision.

We clearly need not just a Democratic majority, but a clear pro-choice majority in the Senate, as we do in the House.

This decision doesn’t change the fact that abortion is still health care, and people will still need to access it. It’s now going to be a state-by-state fight to get people the care they need.

Despite this disastrous decision, we will continue to work in Congress for reproductive justice and equality, and enshrine the bodily autonomy of women and parents in the law.

We need to reform the filibuster, so a Jim Crow procedure is not standing the way of action to protect people’s human rights.

Let’s continue to take this righteous anger to the streets and to the voting booths.

We need to protect abortion providers and support patients and organizers who are working to get our neighbors the care they need

At home in North Carolina, our governor must continue to protect and expand access to abortion, so no one is denied the health care they need, and so we can serve as a haven for those who will come from other states.

I will work with legislators and advocates to fight any proposal from the North Carolina General Assembly that uses this ruling as an opportunity to turn back the clock for women.

With that, I will turn things over to one of my colleagues who has worked with me to protect choice since we served together in the North Carolina General Assembly - Congresswoman Deborah Ross.

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