It goes unsaid that one of the most contested topics in this upcoming election is reproductive and women’s rights. Under former President Donald Trump’s appointed Supreme Court Justices, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, Roe v. Wade was overturned in June of 2022. Trump’s appointments came by turning the bench to six conservative judges and three liberal judges.
Roe v. Wade, which was originally passed in 1973, ruled that states could not completely ban women from having an abortion. Due to Texas having created a state ban, the Supreme Court came together in a 7-2 vote to rule in favor of women’s rights. This created a privacy clause protecting women under the 14th Amendment.
In the 2022 Supreme Court case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Court considered the rights of the state of Mississippi to ban abortions after 15 weeks, except for medical emergencies and fetal abnormalities. In a 6-3 vote, the Court decided to rule to allow the state to make this decision. This led to then reevaluating Roe v. Wade, and in 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court decided to overturn the original ruling and bring abortion decisions back to state regulation.
This has led to many states stripping women’s access to abortions and reproductive health care. There are currently 13 states that have total abortion bans. In some of these states, there are exceptions in cases of sexual assault, incest and if someone’s life is in danger. However, this is not the case for all total ban locations.
Often, it is hard for women to even know they are pregnant within this limited window. Most pregnancies are not known until six to eight weeks, leading women to make rushed decisions, or miss the deadline of when they can receive these procedures.
In the past, Trump has stated that he disagrees with the state of Florida’s six-week abortion ban, stating that it does not allow enough time for women. However, when held accountable by other Republicans, he backtracked and said he would not vote in favor of expanding the state’s abortion ban.
Harris, has vowed to sign into law a piece of legislation that gives back federal regulation for abortion rights, if a bill as such was to be passed by Congress.
“Ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom, like the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do,” Harris stated at a campaign event in Georgia.
With the court already being quick to make these harmful and impactful decisions, it goes without saying that if the Republican Party is in office for four more years, it will continue to make decisions that harm women’s access to reproductive rights.
It is critical for individuals planning on voting in this election to not only vote for President, but also for local and federal representatives. Without a Congress and representatives that prioritize the rights of women, girls and those who can reproduce, we as a community are at risk of our health being controlled by the government, instead of by our personal decisions and our doctors. No woman should have to travel across multiple states to receive medical care. It should be accessible and affordable to all who need it.
Therefore, I urge everyone who cares about the women in their life to vote for candidates who pledge to protect human rights. Being able to make decisions about our own bodies and through our own decisions is a right that should be left to the individual.
