Voto Latino: Choice is on the Ballot in November

Last night Politico published a draft opinion authored by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, throwing out decades of the Court’s own precedent and allowing laws banning abortion. Voto Latino President and CEO Maria Teresa Kumar issued the following statement:

“This decision lays out in black and white how profoundly committed this Supreme Court is to eliminating people’s agency over their own bodies. It’s particularly chilling to see the court hand the power to control people’s reproductive choices to ‘elected legislatures’ at the same time those legislatures are engaged in an unprecedented attack on voters’ ability to hold them accountable for their actions. This ruling, if it’s ever issued, won’t be the result of careful legal reasoning, but of Mitch McConnell and Republican ruthless commitment to installing an activist Supreme Court at any cost.

“Congress must stop putting procedural roadblocks before the health of American people, and the House and Senate must both act swiftly to codify the protections of Roe into federal law. We know that this decision won’t impact all people equally; it will land hardest on those who are already fighting an uphill battle. People struggling to put food on the table–including people who are already mothers trying to provide for their families–will bear the brunt of this ruling. We need urgent action from elected leaders to protect their rights and wellbeing.

“While abortion care is still the law of the land, voters are already beginning to see with devastating clarity the impact of Republican state legislators unconstrained by the Constitution or by concern for the lives of the constituents they represent. It’s clear that Republicans at the state and federal level intend to criminalize healthcare wherever they can get a majority. According to legal experts, this preliminary decision opens the floodgates to erode other fundamental rights, including the right to marry who you love.

“Voto Latino will stand with our allies–including abortion funds who are providing critical on-the-ground services–to defend that right. Make no mistake: choice and people’s agency over their body is on the ballot in November. I refuse to cede my rights or leave my children with fewer than those I have today. Voto Latino is organizing and informing our voters about the profound danger this agenda represents. We will see you at the voting booth in November. But for today, see you at 5pm at a courthouse near you.”

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.