Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Leaders from state, local and federal levels are reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade on Friday.
Here are some statements from across the board:
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U.S. President Joe Biden:
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul:
"Today, the Supreme Court took away the right of millions of Americans to make decisions about their own bodies. This decision is a grave injustice.
"I want everyone to know that abortion remains safe, accessible, and legal in New York. Just last month, in anticipation of this decision, I made an historic $35 million investment to support our state's network of abortion providers. Last week, thanks to the partnership of Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie, I signed a landmark, nation-leading package of legislation that further protects the rights of patients and empowers reproductive healthcare providers.
"The right to reproductive healthcare is a fundamental human right. History shows us that when abortion is banned, abortion becomes unsafe for women. Low-income individuals and people of color will be harmed the most.
"New York has always been a beacon for those yearning to be free. Our state will always be a safe harbor for those seeking access to abortion care. To anyone who is working to deny abortion access, our message is clear: not here, not now, not ever."
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Congressman Brian Higgins:
"The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a devastating and dangerous theft of women's rights. This takes us fifty years backward, stripping away the personal freedom for all who are pregnant to make medical decisions that impact your body and your life. It will limit access to and criminalize reproductive health services in states across the country. This extreme infringement by the conservative court doesn't reflect the views of a majority of Americans and sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the continued erosion of decades of progress on equal rights."
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New York Attorney General Letitia James:
"Today's ruling is a vicious, dangerous, and deliberate attack on our most basic freedom as humans. Every single person in this country should have the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies. But make no mistake: We will not go back to the inhumane and restrictive pre-Roe era. Regardless of the situation at the national level, New York will always be a safe haven for anyone seeking an abortion. I will work tirelessly to ensure that low-income New Yorkers and people from hostile states have access to the care they need and deserve. I will always fight to protect our right to make decisions about our own bodies and expand access to this critical and lifesaving care."
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U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer:
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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:
"Today is a devastating day for all Americans. Today, more than half of the American population became second-class citizens, stripped of their constitutional right to privacy and bodily autonomy, regardless of where they live.
People in as many as 28 states will no longer have the right to control when, under what circumstances and with whom they want to have children. The right-wing justices of the Supreme Court have declared that they are no longer permitted to make decisions about their own bodies, their own families, and their own lives.
Not only is this ruling an insult to women everywhere, but it is an affront to the 6 in 10 Americans who support women's reproductive freedom.
This ruling proves that our judicial system no longer represents the will of the American people and no longer represents logic, science, or equal justice under the law.
But while today's ruling is a terrible setback in the fight for women's equality, it does not diminish our resolve. In fact, it is time to get to work and fight for our rights. At the federal level Democrats will fight to eliminate the filibuster and enshrine reproductive freedom into law. At the state level we will work to enact pro-choice legislation and flip legislatures to guarantee reproductive rights for all Americans. And in states like New York where reproductive health care is safe and accessible, we will open our doors to those seeking care.
We cannot allow nearly 50 years of progress for women's rights to be erased in one fell swoop. We have simply come too far to turn back now."
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State Senator Sean Ryan:
"The radical activist majority on the Supreme Court is hell-bent on destroying the right to privacy and the freedoms we as a nation are guaranteed by our Constitution. Today's decision overturning Roe v. Wade is an appalling attack on women's rights and, sadly, the court has signaled that this is just the beginning of their quest to tear our Constitution apart. Here in New York, we have already acted to protect the right to an abortion, and we will support women from across our nation and continue to do everything possible to protect reproductive choice. We will not be silent – we will fight back against this horrifying decision."
New York State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace:
"In the past 24 hours, the United States Supreme Court has overturned a century-old law that restricted gun access and a half-century-old precedent protecting a woman's right to a safe and legal abortion. In doing so, the Court is advancing a far-right agenda that is not supported by the vast majority of Americans.
"Make no mistake – people will die as a result of these two watershed edicts. The Supreme Court's decision yesterday limiting a state's ability to enact responsible gun laws will allow any number of bar fights, road rage incidents, and minor disputes to escalate into gun fights on the streets in scenes reminiscent of the Wild West. And as a result of the Supreme Court's decision this morning eviscerating a woman's constitutional right to a safe and legal abortion, many, many women will die because they will be forced to endure a pregnancy that may put their lives at risk.
"This is a dark day in America. I fear for my children, especially my daughter, who may not have the right to control her own reproductive health care, the way I did and the way my own mother did. Today it is abortion. Tomorrow it will be IUDs and contraception. I fear for my LGBTQ friends, because we all know they are coming for same-sex marriage next. We know this because the legal principles that support the right to an abortion are the same legal principles that support the right to contraception access and same sex marriage. We know this because Justice Thomas's concurring decision invited the Court to revisit those prior rulings.
"Yesterday and today's rulings only serve to strengthen my resolve to fight for the safety of New Yorkers through common sense gun laws, laws that protect a woman's freedom over her own reproductive health care, and laws that ensure we protect the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. As a member of the New York State Assembly, I'm proud to have supported legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade, expands access to contraceptive care, and protects the rights of our LGBTQ friends. I'm also proud to have championed common sense gun laws intended to keep New Yorkers safe. While we absorb the Supreme Court's one-two punch, I pledge to work with Governor Hochul and my colleagues in the New York State legislature to ensure New York will remain a haven from the turmoil the Supreme Court has just unleashed on our great nation."
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Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown:
"Roe v. Wade has guaranteed a woman's right to make decisions regarding her own reproductive rights for close to 50 years. This shameful decision by the U.S. Supreme Court paves the way for more than half the country to lose this freedom and puts women's lives at risk. I am grateful to live in New York State, where our laws make it clear, women have the right to make their own reproductive choices!"
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Congressman Lee Zeldin:
"Today is a victory for life, for family, for the constitution, and for federalism. When my daughters, Mikayla and Arianna, were born 14.5 weeks early, I had the opportunity to witness life in the second trimester and it was absolutely beautiful. In a state that has legalized late term partial birth abortion and non-doctors performing abortion, in a state that refuses to advance informed consent and parental consent, and where not enough is being done to promote adoption and support mothers, today is yet another reminder that New York clearly needs to do a much better job to promote, respect and defend life."
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New York State Republican Committee Chairman Nick Langworthy:
"A grave injustice has been overturned and both the sanctity of human life and our constitution have prevailed. Tremendous credit must be given to our SCOTUS justices who did their job without fear or favor in the face of disgusting threats on their lives and their families. Kathy Hochul and New York Democrats legalized and celebrated abortion up to the moment of birth, performed by non-doctors, and they will not be satisfied until New York is the abortion tourism capital of America. In Congress, I will always fight to protect the Constitution and the rights of our most vulnerable."
