Here are statements released Tuesday by members of the Washington and Idaho Congressional delegations.
Sen. Patty Murray: “If this is true, this kind of outcome is exactly what I’ve been ringing alarm bells about—and this is a five alarm fire. Republicans’ goal has always been to ban abortion: they’re already banning abortion in state legislatures across the country, they’re fighting for a federal ban right here in the Senate, and plan to overturn Roe in the Supreme Court too.
“In a matter of days or weeks, the horrifying reality is that we could live in a country without Roe. If this is true, women will be forced to remain pregnant no matter their personal circumstances. Extreme politicians will control patients’ most personal decisions. And extreme Republicans will have eliminated a fundamental right an entire generation of women have known their whole lives.
“After ringing these alarms, for years now: it’s time to break the glass. It’s time for every single person—in every single state—to realize this impacts you, your choices, your rights. It’s not happening to someone else, in some other state—it’s happening everywhere, and the highest court in the land is preparing to rip away your rights at this very moment. We need to fight back with everything we’ve got right now. The right to abortion is on the line, and I’ll never stop fighting to protect it."
Sen. Maria Cantwell [D-Washington]: “Overturning a woman's right to privacy and reproductive health after 50 years of case law makes clear the far right’s agenda: get Supreme Court justices who will testify at confirmation hearings that Roe v. Wade is settled law, but now vote to overturn it.
“Women's lives and their health care are not political footballs. The right to privacy exists within our Constitution and must be defended.
“If the reporting about the draft opinion is true, America is on the path to returning to a dangerous time.
“The State of Washington has codified these rights. We must now do that for the rest of the country.”
Sen. Mike Crapo [R-Idaho]: "The Supreme Court must remain independent from political pressure tactics when issuing its final decision. States should have the ability to protect the right to life and the rights of the unborn. The deliberate leak of a draft opinion is a brazen attempt to intimidate Supreme Court justices into ignoring the rule of law and undermines the institution of the Court."
Sen. Jim Risch [R-Idaho]: "The most basic right we as humans have is the right to life. Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided and correcting that mistake is the right thing to do. This leaked Supreme Court draft opinion is only a draft and the contours of the ruling may change. No ruling is final until it is published by the Court. I will reserve further comment until the Supreme Court hands down its final, official ruling.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-Washington]: “This leak of a confidential draft opinion will severely damage the public’s trust in the Supreme Court. It’s a deliberate attack on the integrity of the Court and its role as an independent judiciary. There must be a complete investigation into how this leak happened and who is responsible.
“At this very moment, Democrats and the Left are using this breach of trust as an opportunity to spread fear and force their discriminatory pro-abortion agenda on every American. Their Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act allows for abortion during any stage of pregnancy up until birth and for any reason, including on the basis of a baby’s gender, race, or disability. It allows for any late-term abortion regardless of the welfare of the mother or the baby.
“This extreme agenda is not the will of the American people, yet nearly every Democrat in the House and Senate supports it. This agenda must be stopped by a movement united behind our Constitutional and God-given right to life. Let’s be warriors for human dignity and human value. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all must remain the unshakeable moral bedrock of the greatest experiment in self-governance the world has ever known.
"Nearly every Democrat in Congress is on the record supporting the Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act. It creates a national standard mandating all states offer abortions of unborn children for any reason and at any stage of pregnancy up until birth. The Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act is more radical than Roe. It must be stopped."
