- Saturday marked the 49th anniversary of the landmark ruling Roe v. Wade.
- Democratic lawmakers marked the day by sharing their support for abortion rights.
- An upcoming Supreme Court ruling could gut the law and threaten reproductive rights.
Democratic lawmakers spoke out in support of abortion rights on Saturday, which marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
The landmark 1973 ruling held that the Constitution protects the right of women to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. But in December, the Supreme Court heard arguments for a case involving a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi that, if upheld, could gut the precedent set by Roe v. Wade.
The court's decision is expected in June, but Insider's Oma Seddiq reported the conservative majority appeared open to ruling in favor of Mississippi's ban. Experts told her that if the court does side with Mississippi, it will undermine the core protections provided by Roe v. Wade.
"Today could be the last anniversary of #RoeVWade as law of the land," Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts tweeted on Saturday. "But this isn't the end of the fight. Not even close. The American people are on our side. We must fight back for abortion rights and reproductive justice—and we must #ExpandTheCourt to rebalance it."
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont also tweeted his support, writing: "Abortion is a constitutional right."
—Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 22, 2022
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the majority whip of the Senate, also expressed concern over the fate of Roe v. Wade.
"@SenateDems believe that everyone deserves to make their own decisions about pregnancy & parenting—and the constitutional right to have an abortion is critical to making that a reality," he said in a tweet. "With #RoevWade hanging in the balance, we all must stand together to protect abortion rights."
Vice President Kamala Harris also shared a video praising the protection Roe v. Wade granted to women and said the administration would work to protect reproductive rights despite threats by laws like the one in Mississippi.
"We must remain firm in ensuring that our country is not pushed backwards on women's reproductive rights," she said.
Harris also advocated for the Women's Health Protection Act, federal legislation that she said would codify Roe v. Way. The bill passed the House in September but is unlikely to pass in the Senate.