"I have absolutely zero patience left for Democrats like Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema bemoaning the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade — while they refuse to do anything about it.

And don’t get me started on self-proclaimed “pro-choice” Republicans like Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who voted for these justices and now say they were “misled.”

If these senators are truly so outraged, they could overrule the Supreme Court right now by suspending the filibuster rule and passing nationwide legislation codifying Roe v. Wade into law.

In fact, President Biden just called on the Senate to do exactly this, and if every senator who says they oppose the Supreme Court’s decision voted for it, it would pass today. But if we let these politicians get away with blaming others and pretending there’s nothing they can do, then it won’t happen.

That’s where we come in. The team here at Inequality Media Civic Action has been working day and night since the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe came down, creating hard-hitting videos and other social media posts to make sure people know that these senators have the power to protect abortion rights — and hold the justices' feet to the fire. This is especially crucial for young voters who are angry but might not know the process for passing legislation or who to blame when it doesn’t happen.

Abortion bans are currently in effect in nine states. By the end of this summer, that number will likely be more than 20, and as more and more bans go into effect, the pressure on the Senate to act will only grow louder.

We’re already hearing horror stories like the 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio who was denied abortion care. Tragic stories like this will only continue to come out as long as these draconian abortion bans remain in effect.

That’s why we can’t sit around and wait until after the election. People will die.

Abortion bans are not “pro-life.” They’re pro-poverty and pro-inequality. Being forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term means that families are four times more likely to live below the poverty line, parents are three times less likely to have full-time work, and parents are six times more likely to receive public assistance.

I’ll be honest, when I hear Democrats say that the only way to save abortion rights is to go out and vote in November, I get mad. Obviously it’s incredibly important that everyone votes. We know this. But it’s simply false to say that there’s nothing we can do right now. And if Democrats fail to use their full authority to preserve abortion access now, why would cyncial voters bother turning out in November?

Enough is enough. The Senate can — and must — act now to overrule the Supreme Court and restore the protections of Roe v. Wade."

Thanks for helping the fight for reproductive justice,

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action

[inequalitymediacivicaction.org]