In a spirited address Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom made his first public remarks against the U.S. Supreme Court's potential decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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Joining arms with Planned Parenthood, the Governor warned overturning Roe v. Wade would set a dangerous precedent that threatens all Americans, starting with reproductive rights.
Newsom recalled the moment when he first saw the leaked draft opinion on Monday. "In so many ways it was predictable, but when you actually saw that decision and started to flip through it, it’s just a remarkable moment in American history," he said.
If the decision to strike down Roe goes through, other liberties could be at risk such as gay or interracial marriage, the Governor said, stating it's not the job of the Supreme Court to take away rights.
"The entire history of the United States has been about expanding rights. Don't think for a second this is where they stop," he said. "The right to privacy is not foundational. They're coming after you. They are. Fill in the blank, who is you… It's us, it's all of us."
Newsom also lashed out at anti-abortion Republicans who supported rolling back reproductive rights, but define themselves as "pro-life."
"Every single one of these folks that are out there trumpeting and championing this decision have consistently opposed prenatal care support, consistently opposed childcare, consistently opposed paid family leave, and they claim to be pro-life? They're pro-birth," he stated.
Moving forward, Newsom vowed that California will work to codify the right to choice within the state constitution, building upon already existing work to protect reproductive health care. "We've not sat back passively, we've sadly anticipated this," he said. "Protect the health, protect the safety of women and girls, particularly of those of color."
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