NEW ANALYSIS SHOWS SUPREME COURT KNEW EXACTLY HOW MUCH PAIN AND SUFFERING IT WOULD INFLICT BY ENDING ABORTION ACCESS

Senator Tina Smith: “As this analysis makes abundantly clear, the justices were repeatedly briefed on all the harmful consequences women would face without the freedom and autonomy to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures.”

Take Back the Court Action Fund’s new visual analysis shows how at least 14 detailed warnings from experts’ amicus briefs in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Org. became our new reality

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 29, 2022) — The Supreme Court was clearly and explicitly warned of the consequences of overturning the constitutional right to an abortion, according to a new study released today as the Court prepares for its new term to begin next week. Take Back the Court Action Fund’s new visual analysis demonstrates the litany of warnings the right-wing Supreme Court received in amicus briefs in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Those warnings have proven prescient.

“These extremist Justices knew exactly what they were doing when they made the heinous decision to overturn Americans' constitutional right to abortion,” said Senator Tina Smith (D-MN). “As this analysis makes abundantly clear, the justices were repeatedly briefed on all the harmful consequences women would face without the freedom and autonomy to make decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures. They looked at the suffering they would cause by taking away abortion access, and did it anyway. If we want to stop a Court determined to hurt millions of people and roll back decades of progress, there’s only one option: we must expand the Court — and fast.”

“As the country reels from the pain and suffering the Court caused by this decision — sky-high costs for travel and care, threats of investigation and jailing, heavier burdens on those already underserved by our broken healthcare system — know that none if this is a surprise; it was part of the right-wing justices’ plan all along,” Sarah Lipton-Lubet, executive director of Take Back the Court Action Fund. “These extreme justices are cruel and wildly out of touch with the country, and we must add seats to bring balance to the bench.”

Justice Alito wrote in the Dobbs decision, “We do not pretend to know how our political system or society will respond to today’s decision overruling Roe and Casey.” But as this new product shows, Alito and the rest of the Court knew exactly how devastating the consequences of their decision would be. They were thoroughly briefed on just how much hardship pregnant people, families, and abortion providers would face if they overturned Roe.

Among many harmful consequences predicted by experts and presented to the Court in amicus briefs, we have already seen at least 14 come to fruition in just the first few months since the decision including:

New attacks from state legislatures, including total abortion bans, six-week bans, and efforts to ban interstate travel for pregnant people;
Skyrocketing costs and increased travel distances keeping pregnant people from accessing abortion care;
People of color, young people, undocumented people, people living in rural areas, and others from already marginalized and under-resourced communities severely hindered and entirely cut off from accessing abortion care;
Threats of investigation, prosecution, and even jailing for people seeking abortion care and medical professionals providing it; and
New threats to informational privacy, including private messages and medical records being turned over to prosecute abortion providers and those who help pregnant people obtain abortion care.

The nation-wide abortion ban recently proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham would extend this suffering to even more people — in blue and red states alike.

Take a look at the visual analysis: https://www.takebackthecourt.today/dobbs-briefs-and-outcomes