The Fight for Liberty: Iowa Democratic Party Statement on the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

It has been fifty-one years since the Supreme Court ruled women have a constitutional right to make decisions about their bodies without the interference of politicians. Thanks to the efforts by Donald Trump and his Republican Party, that decision was overturned a year and a half ago. The overturning of Roe was the first time that the Court took away a constitutional right that was previously established. Because of this extremist decision, tens of millions of women across the nation live in states with extreme abortion bans — and if the Iowa GOP had their way, that would include Iowa.

“Today’s anniversary of the Roe decision serves as a stark reminder of just how important it is to vote in every election. Democrats across Iowa stand with the majority of Iowans who want to secure our fundamental freedoms by safeguarding the right to choose. Unfortunately, Iowa Republicans have bent the knee to Kim Reynolds and Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda and are ready to discard our state constitution to make the fringes of their base happy. We all must continue our work to ensure that Iowa women have access to the reproductive healthcare they need, and put people over politics by protecting these critical rights we’d all held for fifty years before Dobbs,” said IDP Chair Rita Hart.

If the courts decide to uphold the six-week abortion ban that Iowa’s Republican legislators passed into law, it would force Iowans to travel to neighboring states like Illinois and Minnesota to receive life-saving reproductive healthcare. Even though the majority of Iowans are supportive of women’s right to choose, Governor Kim Reynolds and the Iowa GOP have continued to work to further the decision to rip a constitutional right away from Iowa women.

Iowa Democrats and our Democratic legislators are proud to support Iowans’ personal liberties and to fight for the rights of all Iowans, including the freedom to make your own decisions with your doctor. Today, tomorrow, and forever, Iowa Democrats stand with the vast majority of Iowans, and we will continue the fight for women’s right to choose.

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