MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by a vote of 6-3, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi Democratic and Republican lawmakers have all responded to the development.
Mississippi has led the nation to overcome one of the greatest injustices in the history of our country. Our state’s historic case before the United States Supreme Court was the catalyst for overturning Roe v. Wade and has made the nation safer for children than it was just a few short hours ago. Let’s be clear: this decision will directly result in more hearts beating, more strollers pushed, more report cards given, more little league games played, and more lives well lived. It is a joyous day! Tomorrow, we will wake to a new world, enthusiastically prepared to take on the challenges ahead and to take every step necessary to support mothers and children.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves
“This decision is a direct assault on the rights of Tennesseans. The Court’s interpretation of the constitution on this issue is flawed and a direct insertion of political activism on the highest court in the land. This decision made by a conservative majority on the court, will empower a radical majority serving in state
Hendrell Remus, Tennessee Democratic Party Chair.
legislatures across the country. Politicians will be even more emboldened by this decision to impose their most restrictive views on us. Today, an essential and lifesaving freedom was discarded by a court installed to protect it.”
“Today’s landmark Supreme Court decision marks the beginning of a hopeful chapter for our country. After years of heartfelt prayer & thoughtful policy, America has a historic opportunity to support women, children & strong families while reconciling the pain & loss caused by Roe. We have spent years preparing for the possibility that authority would return to the states, and Tennessee’s laws will provide the maximum possible protection for both mother and child. In the coming days we will address the full impacts of this decision for Tennessee.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said on Twitter
“We are going to keep pushing back against anti-choice representatives and legislation any chance we get. The Tennessee Democratic Party will work to support pro-choice candidates and legislators as well as abortion rights groups in state. We’re prepared to fight for the safety and autonomy of Tennesseans.”
Brit Bender, Tennessee Democratic Executive Director
“I have often said that abortion is a complicated and very personal decision. And I personally believe that we don’t spend enough time on finding solutions to the reasons why some people have to have abortions. However, this ruling means that in Tennessee, all abortions will be criminalized, including for victims of rape and incest. Women should have the right to make their own, personal healthcare decisions. This is an unfortunate decision based on politics instead of established law and, according to the vast majority of polls, the will of people.”
Representative Karen Camper, Tennessee House Minority Leader
“Having worked alongside Tennesseans to protect the innocent lives of unborn children for years, I applaud today’s Supreme Court ruling. Despite false claims from the left, this decision will not ban abortion. Instead, it returns the decision to the states and empowers state legislatures with more flexibility to craft policy through the democratic process. It is unacceptable that a draft opinion was leaked in advance and that the person responsible has not been caught. The leaker has jeopardized the safety of our justices, and threats of violence by the radical militant mob are unacceptable. We appreciate the brave law enforcement officers working overtime to protect our justices and their families.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
“The ruling today by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe vs Wade turns back the choice for women to have control over their bodies. It is a sad day in this country for women and young girls who are sexually assaulted and in need of this medical procedure. Removing this constitutional right will turn our country back decades, especially for minority women who will be most impacted by this outrageous decision. Women and like-minded men who believe in choice must vote for candidates who believe in a woman’s right to choose. Join us as we work to elect pro-choice women in the state of Tennessee, one of the states with trigger laws already in place.”
Deidre Malone, President of National Women’s Political Caucus, Tennessee
“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court took a historic step overturning Roe v. Wade. This will rightfully return the authority to regulate abortion back to the states and to our elected representatives. Abortion laws should be debated and decided by the American people, not dictated by judges. I will always remain committed to advocating for strong pro-life policies and upholding the sanctity of life.”
Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)
“What has been a right for women for nearly 50 years has been struck down by this radical Supreme Court. Roe. v. Wade empowered women to make decisions about their health care and the most fundamental trajectory of their lives. That has been taken from them by an activist Supreme Court that has chosen to ignore the Court’s precedents for a political agenda. Lucius Burch, a great Memphis lawyer, spoke to me many years ago about the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned. He said it would never happen because women in this country would march in the streets in protest. Mr. Burch was wrong about Roe never being overturned. But he was right about how women will react. Women in this country will march and march and march – and they will vote and vote and vote.”
Representative Steve Cohen (TN-09)
“This is a long-awaited, consequential day for our nation. The Supreme Court’s decision to affirm there is no constitutional right to indiscriminately sacrifice the lives of children in their mothers’ wombs is the culmination of decades of work to correct the tragic, deadly lie that unborn babies are expendable and undeserving of protection. I’m pleased to have helped confirm justices to our nation’s highest court who are committed to interpreting the Constitution in a manner that is consistent and true to its intent and meaning. With this ruling, the American people will finally have the opportunity to enact their will on this issue instead of unelected judges in Washington, D.C. I am proud of Arkansas’s steadfast commitment to defend the sanctity, dignity and value of every human life, including vulnerable children who deserve our compassion and care.”
Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
“For decades, this is a day so many of us have prayed for and worked towards. I am thankful for the brave resolve of the six Supreme Court justices who – while receiving death threats and extreme political pressure – did what is right: defending the lives of the most innocent and vulnerable in our society. As Americans, we value the sanctity of life, and it is in our very nature to protect it. As a mom, I know the love that each of my three children have brought to our family, and, as governor, I will fight to keep Arkansas one of the most pro-life states in the nation.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
“This is a great day in American history, especially for the millions of children whose innocent lives will be spared from the horrors of abortion in the years to come. For too long, Roe v. Wade has poisoned our courts, our culture, and our laws. Today’s decision corrects the grave constitutional error of Roe v. Wade—and finally gives the American people, through their elected representatives, the power to fix America’s extreme abortion laws and enshrine protections for the unborn in law.
“This victory is not the end of the pro-life cause, but a new beginning. Now is the time for state lawmakers to protect life, which begins at conception. Congress also has an obligation at the federal level to protect the unborn. Those who seek parity with nations like North Korea and China and want keep abortion on demand legal up until birth will fight tooth-and-nail to protect this vile practice.
“Going forward, pro-life Americans will need to hold policymakers accountable for protecting unborn children and their parents through policies that are rooted in sound ethics and science. Children in the womb have fingerprints and feel pain—their beating hearts should never be silenced.
“We must revitalize a culture of life in America that will provide loving options and support to parents, and ultimately make abortion unthinkable.”
Kevin Roberts, President of Heritage Foundation
As a woman who has lost a child during pregnancy, I know that every pregnancy is unique and complex. That is why women should have control over their own bodies and lives—including the decision about when to start their family.
The Supreme Court’s extreme and unprecedented decision to overturn Roe v. Wade takes away the ability of women to control their own bodies and turns that power over to the Tennessee General Assembly.
We know Tennessee has a trigger law, which means abortion will be banned in our state within 30 days. Restricting and banning abortion only exacerbates the maternal health crisis in this country.
It is unconscionable that a group of politicians, who mostly neglect families that look like mine, now have the power to endanger women’s health and criminalize our doctors for offering appropriate live-saving care.
I am devastated. I am angry. But words fail to describe the pain and horror I am feeling right now as I try to make sense of where this dangerous decision will lead us.
But know this: A new fight begins today. We will not stop until every woman has the explicit right to shape our families, to access the healthcare we need, and to decide when or whether we have children.
Senator London Lamar (D-Memphis)
“Together, as the Catholic Bishops of Tennessee, we thank the United States Supreme Court for its careful consideration of the constitutional issues surrounding abortion and express our encouragement that it has ruled in favor of the right to life for the unborn.
Arguments before the court made it clear that our ever-expanding scientific knowledge has identified the fact that everything essential for a growing human life is present from the moment of conception. Only time and nourishment are necessary to bring that life forward, created in the likeness and image of God with the human dignity enshrined by the creator in each of us as His children.
We pray for all those facing pregnancies, both planned and unplanned, and pledge to redouble our efforts to support mothers, fathers and children at every stage of life.”
Bishop David P. Talley (Memphis), Bishop J. Mark Spalding (Nasville), Bishop Richard F. Stika (Knoxville), Catholic Bishops of Tennessee
