One Day After Supreme Court Sides with Bush, Pro-Choice Leaders Take Action to Protect a Woman's Right to Choose

Washington, DC – One day after the Supreme Court upheld the Bush Federal Abortion Ban, Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, joined pro-choice members of Congress and activists at a Capitol Hill press conference to introduce legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law and guarantee a woman's right to choose in all 50 states.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) are the chief sponsors of the Freedom of Choice Act.

"The Supreme Court's decision is alarming. The Court not only upheld an abortion ban with no exception for a woman's health, it also gave the green light to anti-choice politicians to launch additional attacks on safe, legal abortion, without any regard for women's health. It's clear that Bush's appointees are moving the Court in a direction that threatens women's reproductive rights," Keenan said. "Pro-choice leaders like Sen. Boxer, Rep. Nadler, and the bill's other cosponsors understand that government should not interfere in personal, private medical decisions. We applaud their efforts to stop anti-choice attacks and protect a woman's right to choose by introducing the Freedom of Choice Act. We are also committed to increasing the number of pro-choice members of Congress who will stand up for the fundamental values of freedom and privacy."

Yesterday, NARAL Pro-Choice America launched an alert to more than 500,000 member activists alerting them of the Court's devastating decision and asking them to ask their representatives and senators to sponsor the FOCA.

Background on the Supreme Court Decision

The Supreme Court upheld the Federal Abortion Ban, which includes no exception to protect a woman's health. This decision represents a monumental departure from prior cases, and with it the Court effectively eliminated one of Roe v. Wade's core protections: that a woman's health must always be paramount.

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032