Massachusetts lawmakers decried the Supreme Court’s decision to end the constitutional right to abortion in the United States. Most expressed anger — and a pledge to fight back.
And Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, signed an executive order designed to protect providers in Massachusetts who help out-of-state patients.
It prohibits any executive department agencies from assisting another state’s investigation. It also protects Massachusetts providers who deliver reproductive health care services from losing their professional licenses as the result of an out-of-state charge.
“The commonwealth has long been a leader in protecting a woman’s right to choose and access to reproductive health services, while other states have criminalized or otherwise restricted access,” Baker said in a statement. “This executive order will further preserve that right and protect reproductive health care providers who serve out of state residents.”
Abortion in Massachusetts and the rest of New England remains legal. In Massachusetts, abortion is legal through 24 weeks of pregnancy, under state law.
Many members of the state’s all-Democratic congressional delegation immediately released statements decrying the decision. Rep. Katherine Clark, the House’s fourth-highest ranking Democrat, called the Supreme Court decision “dystopian.”
Overturning the right to an abortion brings us to the horrifying reality of government-mandated pregnancy – we are now living in a dystopian nightmare. Forced pregnancy is morally abhorrent, and this decision will set women back decades. But we are not powerless. We will fight.
— Katherine Clark (@RepKClark) June 24, 2022
“We will not back down,” she added.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement that “extremists will not have the final word.”
“After decades of scheming, Republican politicians have finally forced their unpopular agenda on the rest of America,” she wrote. “They have decided the government — not the person who is pregnant — should make a private health care decision and deny women the right to control their own bodies and futures.”
She said Democrats have the tools to fight back, from legislation to executive orders. She added in a video not to give up hope.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley and three other Black congresswomen called on President Biden to declare a public health and national emergency in response to the decision.
“Declaring a public health emergency and national emergency will allow your administration to utilize additional flexibilities and deploy resources where necessary,” they wrote. “In this unprecedented moment, we must act urgently as if lives depend on it because they do.”
Sen. Ed Markey called for expanding the Supreme Court and passing a federal law protecting the right to abortion nationwide.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood is an egregious and overtly political act that jeopardizes the health, safety, and freedom of millions of Americans. Abolish the filibuster, pass the Women's Health Protection Act, and expand the Court now.
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) June 24, 2022
Rep. Seth Moulton called the decision “terribly wrong.”
Congressman Richard Neal echoed his fellow Democrats’ call to fight.
Today’s ruling is the dangerous culmination of Republicans’ decades-long effort to roll back women’s freedoms and control their health care decisions. This ruling is a distressing and shameful step backwards. Democrats will fight like hell to protect women’s rights.
— Rep. Richard Neal (@RepRichardNeal) June 24, 2022
Congressman Jake Auchincloss said the state will step up to be a “safe haven” for those who are in “healthcare deserts.”
Rep. Lori Trahan said without access to legal abortion, many pregnant people will now seek out care through unsafe procedures.
“That’s not the America we should want any of our daughters to grow up in, but it’s going to get worse if anti-choice extremists have their way,” she said. They’ve been working toward this decision for decades, and they’re already plotting to override state laws like the Roe Act so it’s illegal for every woman in America to control our own bodies.”
Rep. Jim McGovern warned that “extremist Republicans … are not done stripping away freedoms.”
“While this is a dark day in our nation’s history, it must be a catalyst for action,” he said.
Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat who is running for governor, called it a “dark day in our history.” She reiterated that abortion is legal in Massachusetts and she will do “everything in my power to keep it that way.”
Today is a dark day in our history. For nearly 50 years, the constitutional right to abortion has saved lives. It is freedom, healing, and the chance to live your life on your own terms. That will never change, which is why we can never give up on realizing this freedom for all.
— Maura Healey (@maura_healey) June 24, 2022
Massachusetts Attorney General candidate Andrea Campbell said the decision will disproportionately harm women of color and low-income people.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said every level of government needs to step up to protect abortion access.
To all those who have received abortion care, considered getting an abortion, or supported a loved one who needed care: I stand with you.
Abortion is crucial healthcare. Every level of government, from city to federal, needs to stand up now to protect access to care.
— Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@wutrain) June 24, 2022
This story is developing. It will be updated.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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