Mae Flexer

Statement Of Senator Mae Flexer On Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Decision Affecting National Abortion Rights

“This is a dark day for our country. The rights of more than half of Americans have been rolled back in an unprecedented way. We no longer have control over our own bodies depending on what state we live in. And make no mistake, there is nothing “pro-life” about this. The United States has the highest maternal death rates of any developed country and is virtually alone in the world in having no paid parental leave. This decision is not about caring for women and families, it is about controlling women. There will not be fewer abortions in our country, abortions will continue. But we are now going to see women die in parts of our country because they will not be able to access safe health care. This will not just affect abortion access, but also access to contraception, fertility treatments, miscarriage treatments and other types of health care.

“It’s hard to express how truly devastating this decision is. But I am proud that Connecticut will continue to be a leader in protecting the full spectrum of health care rights for all of our citizens and welcoming our fellow Americans who come here for critical health care that is now illegal in more than a dozen states. We will also continue to be an actual pro-family state that respects women and supports families with access to early child care, the strongest paid family and medical leave in the country, strong pregnancy protections and much more. We will do everything we can to ensure that women will continue to be treated as full and equal citizens, even as the U.S. Supreme Court and dozens of state legislatures do the opposite.”