Supreme Court Out of Synch with U.S. Majority

The Supreme Court on Friday put itself outside the mainstream of American – and international – thought, threatening the health of women, rupturing the reputation of the Court and signaling its intention to reverse 50 years of progress for privacy rights in the United States.

Never in our nation’s history has a right once established by the court been reversed, until now. Based on this ruling, never again can Americans rely on the Supreme Court’s holdings to be anything more than a temporary fix likely to be altered by the next wave of political extremism.

“This is a dark day for all American women,” said Lissa Savaglio, Chair of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee. “Opinion polling shows time and again that a solid majority of Americans want legal, safe reproductive services – not the dangerous, backroom medical practices dating to before the first half of the 20th century.”

And, based on a concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas, the court is now looking towards further advancing the right-wing culture wars by striking down other established privacy rights, such as the use of contraception and same-sex marriage.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hailed the ruling, claiming Americans “got their voice back,” when, in reality, just the reverse is true: more than 60 percent of Americans told a recent Pew Research survey that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

The ruling Friday overturns federal authority legalizing abortion, returning that decision to the states; 13 states have so-called trigger laws that will now make abortion illegal.

Here in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin responded to the ruling saying, “I'm proud to be a pro-life Governor and plan to take every action I can to protect life,” adding “We can build a bipartisan consensus on protecting the life of unborn children, especially when they begin to feel pain in the womb, and importantly supporting mothers and families who choose life.”

Currently, abortion remains legal in Virginia until the third trimester, however, Republicans could ban abortions here if the 2023 elections see them holding the House of Delegates and gaining a majority in the Senate. We can’t let that happen. Earlier this month, Virginia Democrats blocked Republican efforts to cut off state funding for abortions in extreme circumstances.

So, what to do?

Democrats are committed to organizing, being engaged and, in the words of the late John Lewis, making good trouble. In the coming days, weeks and months we and our candidates for office will speak clearly about a future in which we restore reproductive choice, a woman’s right to determine what’s best for her body and protecting essential privacy rights for all Americans.

Right now, across the nation, the Women’s March Foundation, is calling on people to wear red and march to their local courthouses for a 5 p.m. rally.

You can make your voice heard by telling the U.S. Senate to protect a woman’s right to choose by signing the petition being circulated by Sen. Mark Warner.

And, importantly, please support the Loudoun County Democratic Committee by donating and  volunteering as we continue our efforts to provide candidates who share your values.