A Crisis Moment for Abortion Access

This piece was originally published in the May 3, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.

“Women’s rights are human rights and human rights are women’s rights. An extreme wing of the Supreme Court may seek to deny that fundamental truth. They may try to force their views on a country where 70% of people want Roe upheld. We will not be quiet and we will not go back.” – Hillary Clinton

Last night, a leaked draft Supreme Court opinion  indicated that Associate Justice Samuel Alito has written a majority opinion to overturn both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. 

If this draft opinion becomes law, it will have devastating impacts on reproductive rights for hundreds of millions of Americans. The right to legal abortion is popular among Americans, yet twenty-six states, from Texas to Michigan to Wyoming, are poised to either immediately or quickly outlaw abortion if Roe falls. That the Supreme Court may subvert these fundamental rights puts the freedom of all Americans at risk and leaves their rights in the hands of MAGA-emboldened Republicans. This decision will not only set the country back decades—it will also undoubtedly have deadly results, particularly in low-income communities and for people of color.  

But make no mistake: Providers are emphasizing that until this opinion is official, abortion remains legal throughout the country, and health centers are open. But this moment shows that  abortion access has reached a breaking point, and people seeking access need support now more than ever. If you’re able, please join us in supporting the National Network of Abortion Funds, which supports more than 80 local abortion funds assisting people in need of abortions on the ground. Please make a donation here.

Otherwise, share this graphic to help raise the alarm:

In the news

• According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 60 percent of adults and 75 percent of children have been infected by COVID-19. These rates are up steeply from only 34 percent in December. Despite this high number, officials are anticipating yet another surge in cases to come soon.
• President Joe Biden went to Alabama Tuesday to visit a Lockheed Martin facility that has been instrumental in supporting America’s efforts to back Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion. The trip is Biden’s first to the state as president.

What we’re reading

• “7 primary contests to watch Tuesday in Ohio and Indiana” by Deepa Shivram (NPR)
• “Social programs weak in many states with tough abortion laws” by Lindsay Whitehurst, Camille Fassett, and Jasen Lo (The Associated Press)
• “My Mom Was an Abortion Provider in Oklahoma and Now I’m Scared For Her Freedom” by Sylvie Richards (Teen Vogue)
• “The next frontier for the antiabortion movement: A nationwide ban” by Caroline Kitchener (The Washington Post) 
• “Brandon Wolf on the Fight for LGBTQI+ Rights in Florida and Beyond” by Daniella Gibbs Leger, Erin Phillips, Kelly McCoy, Tricia Woodcome, and Sam Signorelli (Center for American Progress Action Fund)
• “NYPD veteran convicted of assaulting officer in Capitol riot” by Michael Kunzelman (The Associated Press) 
• “America will recover all jobs lost during Covid by this summer, Fitch says” by Matt Egan (CNN)
• “AOC has a message for Americans who already paid off their student loans: ‘We can support things we won’t directly benefit from’” by Ayelet Sheffey (Business Insider)
• “Susan Collins Told American Women to Trust Her to Protect Roe. She Lied.” by Eleanor Clift (The Daily Beast)

Please support abortion advocates across the country by giving whatever you’re able here.

This piece was originally published in the May 3, 2022 edition of CAP Action’s newsletter, the Progress Report. Subscribe to the Progress Report here.