Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) issued this statement following media reports of a draft Supreme Court decision overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling:

“I share the feelings of outrage, fear, and utter shock that millions of women across the country are experiencing right now. If this draft Supreme Court opinion is genuine and Roe v. Wade is overturned, a deeply partisan court will be undoing nearly 50 years of an established right to body autonomy.

“In every state in the nation, 70% of Americans oppose a federal ban on abortion care. A ban on abortions will not stop abortions—it will stop safe reproductive care. In a pre-Roe America, women died because they didn’t have access to basic reproductive health care. I never thought that we’d turn back the clock to that dark time. 

“The government shouldn’t be able to tell anyone what to do with their own bodies. If you can’t force someone to donate blood, you can’t force someone into pregnancy.   

“By passing the Women’s Health Protection Act, House Democrats stepped up to defend reproductive rights and ensure Constitutional rights aren't limited by income or zip code, but until it passes the Senate, we will be looking to states to stand up for abortion care. In Maine, we have laws that explicitly protect reproductive rights and we’re fortunate that Governor Mills is committed to upholding Roe. 

“The bottom line is that, until a final decision is released, abortion is still legal in the United States and Maine.”

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