Columbus — Upon receiving the news that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland issued the following statement:
“For 49 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has been the firewall for many of our basic human rights, including multiple decisions protecting everyone’s right to access abortion care. In the decades since the Roe v. Wade decision, anti-abortion activists set their sights on packing the federal courts with extreme conservatives who were specifically identified as judges and justices likely to uphold new laws against abortion access. In the last administration, their ultimate goal was achieved and the U.S. Supreme Court now has a majority of justices who are openly hostile to abortion rights. Hundreds of restrictions on abortion access have been enacted in states across this country, hitting Black and other people of color, young people, trans, and gender non-binary people the hardest.
“Justice Stephen Breyer has been a stalwart supporter of your right to make your own personal reproductive health care decisions since joining the high court in 1994. Most recently, he referred to the court’s failure to block an abortion ban from Texas as ‘very, very, very wrong.’ We’re grateful for his work.
“President Biden must make good on his promise to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. His nominee must have a clear record of protecting and supporting abortion access, and be someone who is willing to speak about the value of abortion and reproductive justice.”
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