Today, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand responded to legislation introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham that would strip more than half of the American population of their bodily autonomy and right to privacy regardless of where they live.
“While many of us feared this day would come ever since the U.S. Supreme Court broke with nearly 50 years of precedent and overturned Roe v. Wade, it is still an enormous blow to women across the country,” said Senator Gillibrand.
“A nationwide, federal ban on abortion would not only put the lives of countless Americans at risk, it would contradict the argument Republicans have made repeatedly — which is that such decisions about the right to bodily autonomy and life and death medical decisions should be decided by individual states.
“With this bill my Republican colleagues have shown their true colors. They have proven beyond all doubt that they will stop at nothing to control our bodies, our families, and our lives. And they have demonstrated their disregard for the six in ten Americans who support women’s reproductive freedom.
“But now our mission as Americans and as voters is crystal clear. We will do whatever it takes to elect more pro-choice candidates. And when we expand our majority we will pass legislation guaranteeing the right to bodily autonomy and enshrining the right to reproductive freedom into federal law.”