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Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

The high court's conservative majority reversed a half-century of legal precedent, a move that will reverberate throughout the country and the world.

Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please click here for the latest updates.

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed the right to abortion in the United States, undoing decades of legal precedent and paving the way for around half of all states to ban the procedure.

Key highlights:

Coverage on this live blog has ended. Please click here for the latest updates.

Tear gas used during protests outside Arizona Senate building

Law enforcement officers used tear gas during protests outside the Arizona Senate Building after part of a door was broken, the state Department of Public Safety said.

“Earlier tonight a crowd of protesters were pounding on the glass doors of the Senate Building. Part of a door was broken. Tear gas was deployed,” DPS spokesman Bart Graves said in an email.

Gas was used a second time after monuments were allegedly vandalized at a nearby plaza, he said.

There were no arrests, he said.

Arizona Senate Republicans, which are the majority party, tweeted that the Senate was secure but that gas had entered the chambers and they were making other arrangements. The Senate session later resumed and was ongoing Friday night.

Pedestrian hit by a truck during Iowa protest

A truck hit a person in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Friday evening, where people were marching after the Supreme Court decision.

Citing preliminary investigations, Cedar Rapids police said a group of protesters was legally crossing the street in front of the U.S. District Court Federal Courthouse when the traffic lights changed.

After a confrontation between the protesters and a driver, a truck "made contact" with a pedestrian, police said.

The pedestrian had injuries that appeared minor, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to police.

Both the driver and pedestrian were interviewed by police. No additional information was released.

Video shows people attempting to stop the truck outside the courthouse.

St. Louis conservatives and progressives meet at clinic

In St. Louis, demonstrators from the staunch right and progressive left used a Planned Parenthood clinic as a gathering place Friday to mark the Supreme Court's Roe reversal.

Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple known for waving guns from their lawn at social justice demonstrators in 2020, celebrated Friday's ruling, according to NBC affiliate KSDK of St. Louis. Mark McCloskey is running for the U.S. Senate in Missouri as a Republican.

Among the crowd at the clinic were members of Defenders of the Unborn. "I never thought I would see this day when Missouri would not kill its children," said the group's president, Mary Maschmeier.

U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, who represents the city as a Democrat, voiced frustration and anger about the court's ruling.

"They can strike down Roe v. Wade, but they can’t strike down our voices," she told the crowd outside the clinic. "You have the people of St. Louis. We’re going to care for one another."

She discussed the abortion she had after she was raped at age 17. She said that without the procedure, she would have been forced to give birth to a child "I was not ready for, that I could not provide for."

After her speech, demonstrators chanted "My body, my choice."

The Planned Parenthood location in St. Louis had been the state's only abortion provider. Missouri's trigger law took effect Friday, making abortion a felony.

Blinken: State Dept. will 'do everything possible' to ensure employee access to reproductive health services

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Friday that the State Department would work to ensure access to reproductive health services to all its employees.

“This Department will do everything possible to ensure that all our employees have access to reproductive health services, wherever they live,” Blinken said. “We will not waiver from this commitment.”

Blinken's statement did not address abortion services specifically, but he said he was compelled to comment after the Supreme Court ruling because it raised "understandable questions and concerns" within the agency's workforce and across the world.

Blinken said in his statement that the department would also continue to advance reproductive rights around the world.

Garland signals brewing battle with GOP-led states over access to abortion pills

Attorney General Merrick Garland indicated Friday that the Justice Department would combat any Republican efforts to restrict access to abortion pills after the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, setting the stage for potential legal battles with some GOP-led states.

“The Justice Department will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom,” Garland said in a lengthy statement after the Supreme Court ruling.

He said the agency is “ready to work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care. In particular, the FDA has approved the use of the medication Mifepristone. States may not ban Mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy.”

The two-drug regimen of medication abortion, as it’s clinically known, was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000. People have been able to get mifepristone by mail since last year, when, due to the pandemic, the FDA suspended a requirement that it be administered in person. The agency made that option permanent in December.

Read the full story here.

Most abortions now banned in Ohio

The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A ban on most abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat became the law in Ohio on Friday following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Enforcement of Ohio’s 2019 “heartbeat” ban had been on hold for nearly three years under a federal court injunction. The state attorney general, Republican Dave Yost, asked for that to be dissolved because of the high court’s ruling, and a federal judge agreed hours later.

Critics had argued that the measure essentially prohibits abortions because the first detectable fetal heartbeat can occur as early as six weeks into pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.

Birth control restrictions could follow abortion bans, experts say

The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade could pave the way for states to restrict access to some contraceptives, two legal experts said.

“The states that are trying to limit abortion from the moment of conception — not even from the moment of pregnancy, as the medical profession would define it — could well try to challenge Plan B, emergency contraception, potentially even IUDs,” said Wendy Parmet, director of the Center for Health Policy and Law at Northeastern University.

Those forms of birth control could be an easier target for restrictions than traditional birth control pills, she said, because they prevent implantation — when a fertilized egg attaches to the womb — in addition to fertilization. Some people already consider them abortion-inducing medications for that reason.

Read the full story here.

Georgia's AG requests state's 'heartbeat law' take effect

Zoë Richards and Blayne Alexander

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has requested that the state's "heartbeat law," which bans abortion once a heartbeat can be detected, take effect, according to a court notice filed Friday.

Carr, a Republican, said in a statement announcing the filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th circuit court, that he believes "in the dignity, value and worth of every human being, both born and unborn."

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs is constitutionally correct and rightfully returns the issue of abortion to the states and to the people — where it belongs," Carr said.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the bill into law in 2019, but it was immediately challenged in court. 

The abortion battle further intensifies the gubernatorial race in the state.

Kemp is facing pressure to call a special legislative session ahead of the election to enact even stricter abortion laws. If Stacey Abrams, a Democrat, wins in November, any such legislation passed by the GOP-led state house during the regular session, would almost certainly be vetoed. 

Lizzo, Live Nation pledge $1M to support abortion rights after Roe overturned

The musician Lizzo said Friday she is pledging $500,000 from her upcoming tour in support of abortion rights following the Supreme Court ruling that ended the constitutionally protected right to abortion in the U.S.

Lizzo, who is set to go to on tour in September, tweeted that Live Nation would match the donation to make it $1 million.

The “Truth Hurts” singer tweeted that the donation would be to "Planned Parenthood and Abortion Rights."

She also said proceeds would be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds, which works to help people with costs, transportation and other forms of support.

Live Nation announced the matching funds and also said it would pay for employees who have to travel out of state for healthcare, and will pay bail for employees arrested for protesting peacefully.

Other celebrities also expressed shock and outrage over the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Taylor Swift tweeted in part that “I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are.” Mariah Carey said she would have to explain to her 11-year-old daughter that “women’s rights are disintegrating in front of our eyes.”

(NBCUniversal News Group is the media partner of Aspen Ideas: Health.)

Dozens of elected prosecutors say they will refuse to prosecute abortion care

Dozens of elected prosecutors said Friday they would refuse to prosecute those seeking, assisting or providing abortions after the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion.

Prosecutors from 29 states, territories and Washington, D.C., signed a joint statement that included signatories from states like Mississippi, Missouri and Wisconsin that have banned or are poised to ban abortion services following the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

“Not all of us agree on a personal or moral level on the issue of abortion,” said the statement signed by 84 prosecutors, a group that included district attorneys and state attorneys general. “But we stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions. As such, we decline to use our offices’ resources to criminalize reproductive health decisions and commit to exercise our well-settled discretion and refrain from prosecuting those who seek, provide, or support abortions.”

The prosecutors said enforcing abortion bans would also “hinder our ability to hold perpetrators accountable, take resources away from the enforcement of serious crime, and inevitably lead to the retraumatization and criminalization of victims of sexual violence.”

Read the full story here.

World Health Organization chief 'concerned and disappointed' after Roe reversal

The Associated Press

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization says he’s “concerned and disappointed” about the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on Twitter that the ruling was “both reducing women’s rights and access to health care.”

He said there was “irrefutable” evidence that restricting legal abortions can drive women and girls to unsafe and sometimes deadly procedures.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that abortion is “a fundamental right for all women” that must be protected.

The French Foreign Ministry urged U.S. federal authorities “to do everything possible” to ensure American women can have continued access to abortion, calling it “a health and survival issue for young girls and women.”

Alaska governor wants constitutional amendment on abortion rights

Alaska’s Republican governor said Friday he will propose a constitutional amendment that could potentially give voters a say in whether abortion is a constitutionally protected right in the state.

Courts have previously ruled that abortion is protected under the state constitution.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he would “be introducing a resolution for a proposed constitutional amendment to the Legislature in the next session to answer the question whether abortion shall, or not be a constitutionally protected right.”

The legislature next meets in January. The resolution has not been drafted yet, Jeff Turner, a spokesman for the governor, said.

Turner said the Legislature would have to approve it, and if it does it would go before voters in the next statewide election, which would be in 2024.

A constitutional amendment question before lawmakers and the voters could put at risk a right that is already judged by the courts to be protected, should voters approve a change.

Dunleavy, who says he is “pro life,” said that the Supreme Court’s Friday ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade “presents an opportunity for the people of Alaska, not a handful of elected officials or appointed judges, to decide the future of abortion in Alaska.”

Stephanie Gosk

Abortion now illegal in Arkansas, could bring 10-year sentence, state officials say

Dennis Romero and Juliette Arcodia

Officials in Arkansas, one of 13 states with abortion-prohibiting trigger laws, notified reproductive health clinics Friday that abortion is now illegal in the state.

A letter addressed to Planned Parenthood warned that "purposefully performing or attempting to perform an abortion is a felony punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000."

Abortions performed in order to save the life of a woman in a medical emergency are exempted, the state's health chief, Paula Day, said in the letter to the nonprofit organization's offices in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

The law prohibiting abortion went into effect about 2 p.m. when the state's attorney general certified the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling, Day said in the letter.

Planned Parenthood acknowledged in a statement that its facilities "are no longer able to offer abortion in the state." Planned Parenthood of Little Rock canceled all scheduled abortions following news of the state's certification of the high court's decision.

Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which serves Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, said it would still support women who need to go out of state to obtain the procedure.

"Planned Parenthood Great Plains is doing everything in our power to ensure that they have the resources they need to have an abortion, including support in traveling outside of their communities for care," she said in the statement.

Arkansas passed its trigger law in 2019.

 

Illinois governor calls special session to grapple with expected influx of abortion-seeking patients

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called a special season of the legislature to help grapple with the impact the Supreme Court’s abortion decision will have on the state.

In an interview, Pritzker said he expects the state will serve as a mecca to women living in red states that had banned or severely restricted abortion. He said he is anticipating an influx of abortion-seeking patients, which will require the state to expand its resources — that would likely come in the form of more health care workers and physical space to offer the care. 

Surrounding states, such as Missouri, have already all but fully restricted access to abortions. Last year, some 10,000 women traveled to Illinois to access reproductive care from surrounding states. That number is expected to surge. 

“In this case, its capacity to manage the procedures that women need,” Pritzker said Friday of the resources the state must discuss providing.  

“Illinois is a safe haven for women who are seeking to exercise their reproductive rights, and will continue to do that as long as we have a strong pro-choice Democratic legislature and strong, pro-choice governor,” Pritzker said. 

The Supreme Court decision comes four days before Illinois holds its primary elections. Pritzker said he expects abortion to be a general election issue in the fall.

Dozens of elected prosecutors say they won't prosecute those seeking or assisting in abortion care

Dozens of elected prosecutors nationwide said they would refuse to prosecute those seeking, assisting or providing abortions, according to a joint statement issued Friday.

"Not all of us agree on a personal or moral level on the issue of abortion," the statement, signed by 84 district attorneys and attorneys general, said. "But we stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions. As such, we decline to use our offices’ resources to criminalize reproductive health decisions and commit to exercise our well-settled discretion and refrain from prosecuting those who seek, provide, or support abortions."

The list of signatories included elected prosecutors from 29 states, territories and Washington, D.C.

Joe Gonzalez, a district attorney in Bexar County, Texas, said in a statement Friday that "using limited resources to prosecute personal healthcare decisions would be a violation” of his oath.

The list also included prosecutors from other states including Mississippi, Missouri and Wisconsin, among others, that have banned or are poised to ban abortion services.

First lady on Roe decision: 'We will not be silent'

Patagonia pledges to cover bail for workers who ‘peacefully protest’ abortion ruling

Outdoor apparel company Patagonia announced Friday it will pay for bail for its workers who are arrested after peacefully protesting Friday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn national abortion rights.

Full- and part-time employees “who peacefully protest for reproductive justice” and are arrested will have their bail covered, the company said in a statement.

Among other benefits the Ventura, California-based company said its employees are eligible for include time off for voting and medical coverage for abortion plans.

Patagonia also said it would pay for travel, lodging and food for its full- and part-time employees who have to travel to receive an abortion.

Patagonia was among many companies Friday that said they would cover travel expenses for workers who seek abortions. Other companies with similar policies included Netflix, Paramount and Amazon.

“Caring for employees extends beyond basic health insurance, so we take a more holistic approach to coverage and support overall wellness to which every human has a right,” Patagonia said. “That means offering employees the dignity of access to reproductive health care. It means supporting employees’ choices around if or when they have a child. It means giving parents the resources they need to work and raise children.”

Trump is out of office. But the Supreme Court is ensuring his legacy lives on.

Former President Donald Trump no longer holds formal power, but the Supreme Court is ensuring his legacy lives on.

By a 6-3 vote Friday, the court erased nearly 50 years of precedent by ruling that the Constitution does not protect a right to abortion. Earlier in the week, by the same margin, the court struck down a New York law that heavily restricted licenses to carry concealed handguns and ruled that police officers can’t be sued for violating a suspect’s Miranda rights.

In each of the cases, all three justices appointed by Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — voted in the majority.

Read the full story here.

Planned Parenthood Arizona pauses abortion services

Planned Parenthood Arizona is halting abortion services across the state in light of the Supreme Court's decision.

“Let’s be crystal clear: The Supreme Court has abandoned patients today,” the president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Arizona, Brittany Fonteno, said on a call with reporters Friday. “We are being forced by the Supreme Court and politicians in this state to deny patient care right now. As a result of our state’s legal landscape, we are pausing abortion services at Planned Parenthood clinics Arizona.” 

Fonteno said the organization was "working diligently" with its team of attorneys "to understand Arizona's tangled web of conflicting laws to make sure our patients know what their rights are and how to access abortion."

She called the high court's decision heartbreaking, while vowing that Planned Parenthood Arizona wasn't going anywhere, "not now, not ever."

“Although this is a truly heartbreaking moment for all Americans, this moment will not break us,” she said.

Businesses take precautions after overturning of Roe

Emma Li and Tat Bellamy-Walker

The Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas boarded up windows and installed fencing Friday after the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Other businesses in the U.S., including in Washington, took similar precautions to protect storefronts from expected protests after the decision.

Murkowski, criticizing court ruling, says Congress must codify legal abortion

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, criticized the Supreme Court on Friday for going “against 50 years of precedent in choosing to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

“The rights under Roe that many women have relied on for decades — most notably a woman’s right to choose — are now gone or threatened in many states,” she said in a statement, adding that “it is up to Congress to respond.”

Murkowski cited legislation she has introduced to codify legal abortion in some circumstances and with exceptions. Some abortion rights activists have criticized it as too narrow and prefer Democrats' broader bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act.

“I am continuing to work with a broader group to restore women’s freedom to control their own health decisions wherever they live. Legislation to accomplish that must be a priority,” she said.

Murkowski added: “Alaskan courts have interpreted abortion rights as protected under our State Constitution, but with this decision, women in other parts of the country will face a different reality that limits their health decisions, even in extreme circumstances.”

Photos: Contrasting emotions outside Supreme Court

Frank Thorp V / NBC News

Thousands of activists on both sides of the issue gathered in front of the Supreme Court after the court announced a ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case Friday.

The court’s decision overturns the landmark, nearly 50-year-old Roe v. Wade case and erases a federal right to an abortion.

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York set to increase services by 20%

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York announced Friday it will increase services by 20% in response to states outlawing abortions following Friday’s ruling by the Supreme Court.

The organization will offer additional abortion appointments at its 23 health centers to care for more state residents seeking abortions as well as people traveling to New York from states where abortions have been made illegal, according to a statement.

Some of the new measures the organization will take include assigning an abortion patient navigator who will help people coming from out of state. The company will increase telehealth medication to give people in early stages of pregnancy the option to safely manage their abortion under the guidance of a company clinician, the organization said.

Centers in Ithaca and Corning, in the southern region of the state, will expand their services to decrease travel times for people from out of state to reach a clinic, the organization said.

Up to 26 states are prepared to outlaw abortion, affecting more than 36 million people who could lose access to abortions, the organization said.

“Banning abortion does not take away people’s need to access abortion. We believe all people — no matter where they live — should have the right to control their own bodies, lives, and futures,” said Joy D. Calloway, interim president and CEO of New York’s Planned Parenthood. “We have been preparing for this day. At Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, we are committed to ensuring equitable access to all New Yorkers and people across the country in states hostile toward health care — and abortion is health care.”

 Graham says Pence called to thank him on the decision

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said former Vice President Mike Pence praised him in a phone call for his work in helping the court overturn Roe v. Wade.

In a separate tweet, Graham said Pence has been a role model for his work in the anti-abortion movement. He also called Pence a "true inspiration."

Graham further applauded the Trump administration for the appointment of three justices that led to the historic decision to reverse abortion rights nationwide.

Bill Clinton says ruling has 'put our democracy at risk'

Former President Bill Clinton slammed the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, saying it "puts partisanship ahead of precedent, ideology ahead of evidence, and the power of a small minority ahead of the clear will of the people."

The majority opinion is "wrong on the merits, wrong for women and their ability to make their own healthcare decisions, and wrong for what it means for the future of our country," Clinton said in a statement. "This jarring removal of rights that had long been guaranteed, along with decisions gutting the Voting Rights Act and abolishing any judicial remedy for admittedly unconstitutional gerrymandering by state legislatures and abuses of power by federal authorities, has put our democracy at risk in the hands of a radical, activist Court."

Clinton, a Democrat, urged voters to elect politicians who will defend rights and liberties, and the Senate to "confirm judges who will put their duty to uphold the Constitution ahead of their ideology, partisanship, and obsession to control."

Scene outside Jackson Women’s Health Organization

Blayne Alexander and Tat Bellamy-Walker

Protesters, reproductive health advocates and media crowded outside of Jackson Women's Health Organization, an abortion clinic in Mississippi that is at the center of a decision to reverse national abortion rights.

Pink House Defenders, a group that stands outside the clinic and escorts women inside for abortion services, said protesters have calmed down since the decision was announced Friday.

"We’re used to protesters every day. But I got to admit, today they are being a little extra," said a clinic escort, who declined to give her name.

She added that the news media was also lining the streets. She said she is fed up with all of it.

"On top of all of that, we still have to escort our patients inside," she said.

Outside of the clinic, anti-abortion protesters were handing out pamphlets that say, "This is not your only choice."

Graphic: How the U.S. compares with the rest of the world on attitudes toward abortion

+2
Danica Jefferies, Jiachuan Wu and Joe Murphy

Not all countries are as divided as the U.S. is on abortion access. According to a 2021 Ipsos survey of abortion attitudes in 27 countries, an average of 71% of people worldwide support abortion in all instances or in certain circumstances.

The U.S. ranked in the lower third among countries included in the poll, with 66% of the country supporting abortion access in all or most cases. Sweden ranked the highest with 88%.

What the Supreme Court justices said about Roe, abortion in their confirmations

After Friday’s Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, pro-abortion rights lawmakers argued that some of the justices who voted in the majority opinion misled senators during their confirmation process.

“This decision is inconsistent with what Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said in their testimony and their meetings with me,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said.

The future of the landmark Roe decision has long been a topic of Supreme Court confirmations.

All six Supreme Court judges who voted to uphold the Mississippi law at the center of Friday’s decision were asked about Roe v. Wade during their confirmation hearings. Justices appointed by then-President Donald Trump, in particular, were interrogated at length, as he had vowed as a candidate to appoint judges who would overturn Roe.

Here's what they said at the time.

International Planned Parenthood chief: Roe decision 'biggest blow to women's health and rights'

The Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade is “the biggest blow to women’s health and rights” in recent American history, the head of International Planned Parenthood said Friday.

The director general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Dr. Alvaro Bermejo, called the decision “an outrageous and devastating conclusion to what was already an unconstitutional removal of life-saving healthcare.”

He added:

“By continuing its unbridled attack on women’s bodies and forcing them to carry pregnancies to term, the highest court in the land has reached its lowest point, robbing millions of their liberty, bodily autonomy and freedom — the very values the United States prides itself on.

“We know for a fact that banning abortion does not mean fewer abortions and that when abortion bans are enacted, women and pregnant people die, as we have seen across the globe, most recently in Poland. We also know that those who cannot access safe abortion care legally, including medical abortion pills, will be forced into unregulated and unsafe methods, potentially resulting in serious harm or even death and costing lives for decades to come."

VP Harris blasts Roe ruling, says progress isn't 'inevitable'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Vice President Kamala Harris blasted the Supreme Court's ruling at an event in Illinois and echoed President Joe Biden's remarks that voters have the power to elect leaders who protect their rights.

Harris, who served as California's attorney general before being elected to the Senate, said that the opinion argues that abortion is "not deeply rooted in our history."

She said Friday's decision calls into question "other rights that we thought were settled, such as the right to use birth control, the right to same-sex marriage, the right to interracial marriage."

"The great aspiration of our nation has been to expand freedom, but the expansion of freedom clearly is not inevitable," she said. "It is not something that just happens."

Harris said she invites people to stand together in defense of liberty, freedom and the right to self-determination.

"You have the power to elect leaders who will defend or protect your rights," she said, urging people to vote.

Emotions raw outside Supreme Court after Roe reversal

Tears flowed and voices bellowed outside the Supreme Court on Friday, as activists on both sides of the abortion issue bore emotion-filled witness to the end of the Roe era.

“It’s really a visceral issue,” said Mai El-Sadany, a human rights lawyer who opposes Friday’s decision. “The people who showed up here are really angry and they didn’t want to be alone.” 

That was true for many of the abortion rights supporters, who wore stickers, held signs, chanted slogans and, at times, wept. They vowed that they would continue to fight for abortion rights, and some wore T-shirts advertising their willingness to “aid and abet” women seeking abortions in states where they will soon be banned or heavily restricted.

Read more here.

Northwell Health, N.Y.'s largest health care provider, criticizes Roe decision

Friday’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a setback for women that will hinder access to safe abortions, according to a statement from Northwell Health.

“Northwell Health is disappointed by the US Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, which made access to safe and legal abortion a constitutional right for five decades,” the statement said. “This decision is a setback for women’s reproductive health. Our concern as the region’s largest health care provider is that this ruling will succeed in ending access to safe abortions and disproportionately cause harm to those who already have limited access to health care.”

Northwell Health is New York state's largest health care provider.

“In New York State, we already have laws that establish a woman’s right to an abortion. Governor Hochul recently signed a series of bills that preserve this right and, importantly, offer protections for health care providers in the state who perform this procedure legally. But we will vigorously monitor any developments related to this very important issue in the coming months and we will continue to advocate in the name of raising women’s health.”

 

 

Lawyer who argued against Dobbs said consequences will be 'swift and severe'

Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said the Supreme Court's decision to end 50 years of federal abortion rights "takes away an individual personal liberty" and warned that it will affect other important issues.

"Its impact is going to reverberate beyond abortion no matter what the majority tried to say about that," she said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

"Generations of people have relied on this right and they’ll now be thrown into a world without it. I can’t emphasize enough what a cataclysmic change this will be, how much chaos we will see in the coming days and month," added Julie Rikelman, the center's litigation director, who in December argued against the Dobbs case. "The impact of this ruling truly will be swift and severe."

Northup — who successfully argued the 2016 Whole Woman’s Health case which banned Texas from replacing restrictions on abortion services — said that Friday's ruling puts at risk the right to use contraception and the right to gay marriage.

"The Supreme Court, having done something it’s never done before, which is take away an individual personal liberty, it has never done that in its history, and it can’t be underestimated about what that means," she said, adding: "And the decision is also the biggest setback to women’s rights, I would say in United States history."

U.S. companies tell workers their benefits include travel costs for abortions

Some of the country’s biggest companies including Paramount, Disney, Amazon and Netflix are telling employees that their benefits include travel costs for abortions.

In a memo provided to NBC News, Bob Bakish, CEO of Paramount Global, and Chief People Officer Nancy Phillips said the corporation supports health care choices made by its employees.

“This includes the reproductive health and family-building benefits that helps make our company a welcoming place to work.” One of the benefits listed in the memo was travel costs for “elective abortion care.”

A Netflix spokesperson confirmed to NBC News the company offers travel reimbursement coverage for full-time U.S. employees and their dependents who need to travel to get an abortion. The lifetime allowance for each employee is $10,000, according to the spokesperson.

Disney confirmed to Reuters it also covers travel cost for employees who need reproductive care, including to obtain an abortion. Disney employs about 80,000 people at Walt Disney World resort in Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a 15-week abortion ban. The law is scheduled to take effect July 1.

Other corporations such as Amazon.com, Citigroup and Levi Strauss & Co., have publicly pledged to pay for employees' travel to obtain abortions, Reuters reported.

 

Former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe says he hopes Roe ruling will motivate base

Former Democratic National Committee Chair and Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe reacted to Friday's decision by saying he hoped the verdict would boost turnout in the upcoming elections.

“If this doesn’t energize women to come out and vote, I don’t know what will," he said. "For 50 years people talked about Roe being overturned. Well, guess what? It has now happened. "

"There’s a shock value to it," he added." If this doesn’t mobilize folks to come out and talk bout how important elections are, and how people can’t sit at home, and how elections really do matter, this has proven the case ... This and the Jan. 6 stuff is having an impact. So, obviously, with Roe and all this debate on guns, we do have some things that motivate our base.”

In furious dissent, Supreme Court’s liberal wing slams ‘draconian’ abortion decision

In a scathing dissent to the Supreme Court’s ruling Friday that overturned Roe v. Wade and wiped out the constitutional guarantee of abortion rights, the justices on the bench’s liberal wing slammed the “draconian” opinion as a decision that will undeniably curtail women’s rights and turn back “their status as free and equal citizens.”

The lengthy joint dissent written by Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan repeatedly slammed the court’s “cavalier” conservative majority for exercising “hypocrisy” in the way they interpret the Constitution. The justices predicted myriad terrible — and possibly deadly — consequences for women, particularly low-income women and women of color, in need of abortion care.

Frequently, and with searing language, they concluded that the court’s majority had deemed that women are not deserving of equal protection under the law.

Read more here.

McConnell calls the ruling 'courageous and correct'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., celebrated the ruling Friday, calling it “courageous and correct” and a "historic victory for the Constitution and for the most vulnerable in our society.”

In a statement, the GOP leader argued that more than 90% of Europe restricts abortion after 15 weeks but "every state in America has been forced to allow it more than a month past that, after a baby can feel pain, yawn, stretch, and suck his or her thumb."

"The Court has corrected a terrible legal and moral error, like when Brown v. Board overruled Plessy v. Ferguson," he continued. "The Justices applied the Constitution. They carefully weighed the complex factors regarding precedent. The Court overturned mistaken rulings that even liberals have long admitted were incoherent, restoring the separation of powers. I commend the Court for its impartiality in the face of attempted intimidation."

As majority leader in 2017, McConnell led Republicans in eliminating the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, allowing them to be confirmed in a simple majority vote rather than a supermajority. The move led to the confirmations of former President Donald Trump's three Supreme Court picks: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, all of whom sided with Justice Samuel Alito in overturning Roe.

Defense secretary says Pentagon examining Supreme Court decision

The Pentagon will "closely" examine the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and "evaluate our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

"Nothing is more important to me or to this Department than the health and well-being of our Service members, the civilian workforce and DOD families," he said in a statement. "I am committed to taking care of our people and ensuring the readiness and resilience of our Force."

Hillary Clinton says ruling overturning Roe will 'live in infamy'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Friday that the Supreme Court's ruling will "live in infamy."

"Most Americans believe the decision to have a child is one of the most sacred decisions there is, and that such decisions should remain between patients and their doctors," she said in a tweet. "Today’s Supreme Court opinion will live in infamy as a step backward for women’s rights and human rights."

Clinton, the former first lady, senator and secretary of state, then linked to a webpage that asks for donations to three major abortion rights groups.

Oklahoma's GOP AG allows trigger law outlawing abortions to take effect

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Oklahoma's Republican attorney general, John O'Connor, praised the Supreme Court's ruling and said he has certified it, allowing the state's trigger law outlawing abortions to take effect.

In a letter, O'Connor certified "that Roe and Casey have been overruled such that Oklahoma may prohibit abortion on demand," according to the attorney general's office.

"In that letter, he also indicated that he would begin efforts immediately to enforce Oklahoma’s abortion prohibitions, especially the one found in Section 861 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes," the office said.

That section of the statute says that anyone who administers the "miscarriage" of a woman or by prescribing, advising or procuring medication or drugs will be guilty of a felony that could result in a sentence of two to five years in prison.

O'Connor's letter says that his certification will also allow Oklahoma to enforce any similar statute prohibiting abortion throughout pregnancy.

Taylor Swift reacts to Roe reversal: 'I'm absolutely terrified'

Grammy-winning pop star Taylor Swift, who has become increasingly vocal about political issues in recent years, tweeted Friday that she was "absolutely terrified that this is where we are" after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Swift offered her thoughts in response to a statement from former first lady Michelle Obama, who wrote that she was "heartbroken today."

Trump takes credit for 'biggest WIN for Life in a generation'

Former President Donald Trump, who campaigned on limiting abortion rights and appointed three Supreme Court justices, took credit for Friday's decision in a statement.

Calling it "the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation," Trump said the Roe ruling and "other decisions" recently announced "were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised."

All three justices appointed by Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — voted with the majority in overturning Roe.

Anti-abortion advocates celebrate Friday in front of the Supreme Court.
Anti-abortion advocates celebrate Friday in front of the Supreme Court.Frank Thorp V / NBC News

Though Trump was known to have more socially liberal positions as a private citizen, he won favor with Republican activists by vowing during his 2016 campaign to choose justices from a pre-selected list of conservatives.

Sen. Kennedy praises reversal of Roe v. Wade: 'They did their work'

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., released a statement Friday that praised the justices for overturning Roe. v. Wade despite attempts to protest the decision.

Rep. Cheney says she has always been 'pro-life,' ruling returns power to the states

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., who has bucked her party by denouncing former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election, indicated Friday that she supports the Supreme Court's ruling.

"I have always been strongly pro-life," she said in a tweet. "Today’s ruling by the Supreme Court returns power to the states and the people of the states to address the issue of abortion under state law."

Biden says no violence, urges people to 'keep all protests peaceful'

President Joe Biden on Friday urged people to "keep all protests peaceful" in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.

"I call on everyone, no matter how deeply they care about this decision, to keep all protests peaceful," he said during a White House speech, reiterating: "Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful. No intimidation. Violence is never acceptable."

Hundreds of demonstrators have already gathered outside the Supreme Court following the historic decision with some abortion rights supporters chanting: "We won’t go back! We won’t go back! My body, my choice!"

The crowd outside the court has continued to grow but has remained relatively peaceful.

"Threats and intimidation are not speech," Biden said. "We must stand against violence in any form regardless of your rationale."  

'People will die because of this decision,' Rep. Ocasio-Cortez says

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Friday the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will make abortions more dangerous and result in deaths.

“Overturning Roe and outlawing abortions will never make them go away. It only makes them more dangerous, especially for the poor + marginalized," she tweeted. "People will die because of this decision. And we will never stop until abortion rights are restored in the United States of America.”

Anti-abortion Democratic Rep. Cuellar says Roe decision leaves issues up to the states

Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, the lone anti-abortion Democrat in the House, said Friday his position has not changed.

"We'll let the states make this decision now," he said.

Asked by NBC News about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's reaction to the Supreme Court's decision, which she said was "cruel," Cuellar said, "Everybody has their opinion, including the speaker."

Cuellar said that while he was in the minority in his caucus, he is not in his district.

WHO’s Tedros disappointed by Roe v. Wade decision

Reuters

The head of the World Health Organization said on Friday he was very disappointed by the overturning of Roe v Wade.

“I am very disappointed, because women’s rights must be protected. And I would have expected America to protect such rights,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Reuters on the sidelines of a Commonwealth summit in Rwanda.

Sanders says it is time to end the Senate filibuster

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., called on Democrats to end the filibuster in the Senate and solidify protections for abortion rights.

Biden says Roe is 'on the ballot' in November

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

In remarks from the White House on Friday, President Joe Biden said that "voters need to make their voices heard" at the ballot box in November's midterm elections because he is unable to restore abortion protections and Congress lacks the votes to take that action.

"We need to restore the protections of Roe as law of the land. We need to elect officials who will do that. This fall, Roe is on the ballot," Biden said.

Until November, Biden said he will do everything in his power to protect a woman's right to choose in states where they will face the consequences of the court's decision. He said, for example, that his administration will protect women's access to medications that allow them to self-manage an abortion at home. He acknowledged that a number of Republican-controlled states have already banned or restricted access to these medications.

Biden expressed anger at the Supreme Court's ruling, saying that "the court has done what it has never done before — expressly take away a constitutional right."

"This decision, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is — far removed they are from the majority of this country," he said. "You can act. You can have the final word."

He blamed his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, for the reversal of Roe because of his nomination of three justices at the "core of today's decision."

Plaintiff in same-sex marriage Supreme Court case says decision is moving country 'backward'

Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court decision Obergefell v. Hodges that established the right to same-sex marriages across the nation, called today's verdict "a sad day for women's rights."

"This Supreme Court continues to erode the rights of citizens at an alarming rate," Obergefell said in a tweet. "Women deserve responsive leaders who support reproductive justice. Leaders who respect their fundamental right to have control over their own bodies."

In a separate statement reacting to Justice Clarence Thomas’ call to reconsider the holding in Obergefell v. Hodges in his concurring opinion, Obergefell said that "the millions of loving couples who have the right to marriage equality to form their own families do not need Clarence Thomas imposing his individual twisted morality upon them."


U.S. Capitol public tours halted after Roe decision

Public tours of the U.S. Capitol were abruptly halted Friday after the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, allowing Capitol Police to shift some of their resources to the court complex, a source familiar with the decision said.

Capitol Police were also concerned about members of the public lining up at the entrance of the Capitol Visitors Center (CVC), which is close to where thousands of protesters were assembling in front of the court building.

"It's because of the CVC entrance's proximity to activity at SCOTUS and the general need to shift U.S. Capitol Police manpower to respond to SCOTUS activity," the source said.

The House Sergeant at Arms sent a message to congressional offices informing them of the decision.

So far, the protests have been peaceful.

Scotland's leader calls out Roe decision

Scotland's leader on Friday warned that the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would "embolden anti-abortion and anti-women forces" beyond the United States.

"One of the darkest days for women’s rights in my lifetime," Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said in a tweet. "Obviously the immediate consequences will be suffered by women in the US — but this will embolden anti-abortion & anti-women forces in other countries too. Solidarity doesn’t feel enough right now — but it is necessary."

McCarthy praises court's decision

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy praised the decision of the court during a Friday press conference.

"By a vote of 6-3, the court affirmed that the power to protect unborn life is returned to the people by their elected representatives," he said. "This great nation can now live up to its core principle that all people are created equal — not born equal, created equal."

He added that the decision would "save the lives of millions of children" and "give families hope."


Rev. Sharpton says court's decision brings us 'back to the dark ages'

Tat Bellamy-Walker

The Rev. Al Sharpton, the head of the National Action Network and an MSNBC host, said Friday that Black women and poor women will be disproportionately affected by the court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

British doctors union calls Roe decision 'deeply worrying'

A senior official at the British Medical Association, the United Kingdom's doctors union, on Friday said the Supreme Court's decision overturning abortion rights could have an impact beyond the United States.

“The news that restrictions to abortions could be made law in some U.S. states ... is deeply worrying for the future of women’s reproductive health," Zoe Greaves, chair of the group's medical ethics committee, said in a written statement.

"The BMA, along with multiple other health organizations, is concerned that this will remove women’s access to essential medical care, a fundamental human right as stated by the U.N., both in the U.S. and potentially more widely," she said.  

The organization added in a statement that it would be weighing the decision's implications to determine how best to support the American Medical Association in its opposition to the "criminalization of reproductive health."

First lady Jill Biden was with DeSantis when Roe decision came down

Josh Lederman

First lady Jill Biden was with Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis when she learned of the Supreme Court ruling, a White House official told NBC News.

The first lady was preparing to go onstage at the memorial for the one year anniversary of the Champlain Tower collapse in Surfside, Florida, along with DeSantis and his wife in a holding room. Moments before the first lady walked on stage, the news alerts popped up on everyone’s phones.

In April, DeSantis signed a Florida law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Democratic governors in the West pledge to stand up for abortion rights

Democratic governors in California, Oregon and Washington said Friday they will continue to "protect" patients seeking reproductive care, including those from other states seeking abortions.

California's Gavin Newsom, Oregon's Kate Brown and Washington's Jay Inslee made the announcement in a video message released after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, presenting themselves as a counterweight to "red states and Republican-stacked courts."

"California, Oregon and Washington are building the West Coast offense to protect patients' access to reproductive care," Newsom said.

Inslee said: "We're going to work with our legislators, with our providers, with our patient advocates."

Brown said: "We will not stand on the sidelines."

'With sorrow...we dissent': Court's liberal wing says majority decided women not deserving of equal protection

Adam Edelman and Tat Bellamy-Walker

In a blistering dissent to the court's decision reversing abortion rights, the justices on the bench’s liberal wing slammed the majority opinion as one that would curtail women's rights.

“It says that from the very moment of fertilization, a woman has no rights to speak of. A State can force her to bring a pregnancy to term, even at the steepest personal and familial costs,” Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan wrote in the lengthy dissent.

"With sorrow — for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection — we dissent," they added.

Read the full story here.

Planned Parenthood Wisconsin temporarily suspends abortion services

Planned Parenthood Wisconsin announced Friday it was “temporarily suspending” abortion services in response to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

In a video statement on the organization’s website, the group's president, Tanya Atkinson, lamented the Supreme Court’s decision because it has taken away a constitutional right from women and instead placed health care decisions in the hands of politicians.

“Because Wisconsin’s criminal abortion ban remains in effect, Planned Parenthood Wisconsin is temporarily suspending abortion services,” she said. “Please know that we are looking at all legal options available. This news is so incredibly devastating. The decision of whether or not to become a parent can be one of the most life-changing decisions a person can make,” she said. “You should be able to make the very personal, very needed health care decisions.”

Atkinson added that although abortion services are not available in Wisconsin, the organization is still there for people who need abortions and will counsel them on finding options where abortions are safe and legal. The group, she said, will also be available for “after-care” services. Other services provided by the organization are also available at its centers or through telehealth, she said.

“Planned Parenthood Wisconsin stands for health care, and we will not give up, not now, not ever,” she said.

Anger and joy outside Supreme Court

Tears flowed and voices bellowed outside the Supreme Court early Friday, as activists on both sides of the abortion issue gathered to bear witness to the end of the Roe era.

"It's really a visceral issue," said Mai El-Sadany, a human rights lawyer who opposes Friday's decision. "The people who showed up here are really angry and they didn’t want to be alone." 

Paige Nelson, 20, cried tears of joy on the street in front of the Supreme Court, where the grounds long used for demonstrations have been closed off for weeks as a security precaution.

"I’m just so happy that no matter who you are and whatever extra chromosomes or whatever disability you might have, you get the chance to live this amazing life, and I will continue advocating until abortion is completely gone," said Nelson, a Washington state resident who is participating in a summer program with the conservative Concerned Women of America.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau calls Roe decision 'horrific'

Reuters

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday called the Supreme Court decision "horrific."

“The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion,” Trudeau said on Twitter.

“No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body,” he said.

Romney says he supports Roe's reversal

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, praised the Supreme Court's ruling Friday in a brief statement.

"The sanctity of human life is a foundational American principle, and the lives of our children—both born and unborn—deserve our protection," Romney said.

"I support the Court’s decision, which means that laws regarding abortion will now rightfully be returned to the people and their elected representatives," he added.

AG Merrick Garland says states cannot ban access to medications for abortions

Attorney General Merrick Garland vowed to protect access to Mifepristone, which is used along with another medication to end early pregnancies.

“In particular, the FDA has approved the use of the medication Mifepristone. States may not ban Mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy," he wrote in a statement.

The Food and Drug Administration approved in 2016 the use of the medications in terminating abortions.

The "Department will continue to protect healthcare providers and individuals seeking reproductive health services in states where those services remain legal," his statement added. "This law prohibits anyone from obstructing access to reproductive health services through violence, threats of violence, or property damage."

Decision a 'dark moment,' British rights group says

The Supreme Court’s decision is a “dark moment for the struggle for women’s liberation and the fight to control our own bodies,” the chair of a British rights group said Friday. 

‘This is a hugely significant set back for abortion rights. Not just in the U.S. but it will embolden anti-abortion activists here and in Poland, Malta and other places where the struggle for access is already desperate,” Kerry Abel of Abortion Rights said in a statement. 

“Any chink in the legislative armour that undermines the right to privacy, makes access more difficult or puts abortion funding out of reach will impact poorer and marginalised women and pregnantpeople and will encourage yet more anti-abortion legislation and action,” she said. 

“This is a dark moment for the struggle for women’s liberation and the fight to control our own bodies,” she added.

Rep. Jamie Raskin knocks Thomas, says they are not 'like real judges at this point'

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., knocked Justice Clarence Thomas, saying he is trying to "demolish the constitutional right to privacy" while blasting the high court's justices as an "instrument of the right-wing Republican agenda."

"Roe versus Wade was built on Griswold versus Connecticut, which asserted a constitutional right to privacy for women and men to obtain contraception and birth control," Raskin said Friday. "They might like to pretend as if this is some kind of singular strike against just women's right to abortion, but it has implications for contraception. It has implications for the right of gay people to get married under the Obergefell decision. It has implications for the right of people not to be sterilized by the government against their will."

Raskin added that the justices are "not like real judges at this point."

"I mean, they’ve got the power of it, but they basically have turned themselves into partisans," he said.

Sen. Susan Collins calls ruling 'not conservative'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who voted to confirm Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh who were part of Friday's majority opinion, said in a statement that the ruling was an "ill-considered action" and "not conservative."

"The Supreme Court has abandoned a fifty-year precedent at a time that the country is desperate for stability. This ill-considered action will further divide the country at a moment when, more than ever in modern times, we need the Court to show both consistency and restraint," Collins said. "Throwing out a precedent overnight that the country has relied upon for half a century is not conservative. It is a sudden and radical jolt to the country that will lead to political chaos, anger, and a further loss of confidence in our government."

Collins said that the ruling was "inconsistent" with what Gorsuch and Kavanaugh said in their congressional testimony and in meetings with her where, she said, "they both were insistent on the importance of supporting long-standing precedents that the country has relied upon."

Collins said she is working on a bill with Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that would codify Roe, Casey, Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, and Griswold v. Connecticut.

"Our legislation would enshrine important abortion protections into law without undercutting statutes that have been in place for decades and without eliminating basic conscience protections that are relied upon by health care providers who have religious objections to performing abortions," she said.

U.K.'s Boris Johnson calls Roe decision 'a big step backward'

Alex Holmes and F. Brinley Bruton

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday said the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would have a "massive" impact around the world.

“This is not our court, it’s another jurisdiction, but it clearly has massive impacts on people’s thinking around the world," he said during a press conference in Kigali, Rwanda. "It’s a very important decision."

"I think it’s a big step backwards," Johnson, who leads the Conservative Party, added. "I’ve always believed in a woman’s right to choose and I stick to that view and that is why the U.K. has the laws that it does.”

Missouri governor signs state proclamation banning most abortions

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a proclamation Friday to activate its trigger law, banning most abortions.

“Nothing in the text, history, or tradition of the United States Constitution gave un-elected federal judges authority to regulate abortion. We are happy that the U.S. Supreme Court has corrected this error and returned power to the people and the states to make these decisions,” Parson, a Republican, said in a news release.

This law makes it illegal for doctors to perform abortions and also makes anyone who knowingly induces an abortion guilty of a class B felony. Doctors can have their licenses revoked for their involvement.

However, a woman who has an abortion will not be prosecuted "for a conspiracy to violate the provisions" of this act. No mention of an exception for a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest was provided in the act.

Upon Parson’s signature, the act takes effect immediately.

Texas GOP AG Ken Paxton says abortions are 'now illegal in Texas'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Texas' GOP attorney general, Ken Paxton, announced Friday that abortion is now illegal in Texas as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling.

"SCOTUS just overruled Roe & Casey, ending one of the most morally & legally corrupt eras in US history. Praise the Lord. Abortion is now illegal in Texas," he said in a tweet. Texas had on the books a trigger law, which immediately banned abortion once Roe came down.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed into law one of the country's most restrictive abortion bans last year, which took effect in September. It had banned abortions as early as six weeks, which effectively banned all abortions because most women don't know they're pregnant that early in the process.

Whole Women's Health, an organization that has operated four clinics providing reproductive health services in Texas and other states, said it has stopped providing abortion procedures as a result of Friday's ruling, according to the Texas Tribune.

In guidance posted on the organization's website Friday, it said that its clinics "are still operating in Baltimore, MD; Bloomington, MN; Alexandria, VA; and Charlottesville, VA." It also said that it offers medication abortion pills by mail to patients in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Virginia.

It also said Whole Women's Health "is exploring plans to expand both our in-clinic and mail services into additional states where abortion is legally protected."

Democratic lawmakers march to Supreme Court in support of abortion rights

At least 150 Democratic lawmakers marched to the Supreme Court on Friday to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., told NBC News the decision marked "a sad day for American jurisprudence."

"Never did I envision that this court would reverse 40 or 50 years of precedence, but they did it," he said. "And they did it in utter disregard for the 60% of the American people who support Roe and did not want it overturned."

Transgender Law Center denounces Supreme Court decision as "despicable"

Tat Bellamy-Walker

The Transgender Law Center, one of the nation's largest transgender rights groups, slammed the court's decision, calling it "despicable" and a "politically-motivated" attack.

In a statement, the organization stressed that the majority opinion will have an outsize impact on historically marginalized groups, including Black women, disabled people, migrant women, poor people and individuals living in rural communities.

“Today we loudly affirm and pledge our solidarity with all people working for Reproductive Justice in this country,” the group's executive director, Kris Hayashi, said. “Whether it is a right to an abortion, the right to affirming medical care, or the right to learn about your own history in schools, our collective rights to self-determination and bodily autonomy are inexorably entwined.”

'God made the decision': Trump praises the ruling overturning Roe

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Former President Donald Trump praised the Supreme Court's ruling in a statement to Fox News on Friday, saying that it's "following the Constitution, and giving rights back when they should have been given long ago."

Trump was asked if he played a role in the decision because he nominated three of the conservative justices who overturned Roe v. Wade — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

"God made the decision," Trump told Fox.

Asked to address any of his supporters who support abortion rights, Trump said, "I think, in the end, this is something that will work out for everybody ... This brings everything back to the states where it has always belonged."

Trump had previously supported abortion rights years ago, telling NBC News' "Meet the Press" in 1999 that he was "very pro-choice" at the time.

Susan B. Anthony List celebrates overturning of Roe v. Wade

The anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List celebrated news Friday of the Supreme Court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, calling it a "historic victory for human rights."

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the group, said in a video message outside the Supreme Court that it was a moment of "great gratitude and resolve."

"This Court has just overturned the wrongly decided Roe versus Wade decision. Let those words sink in," she said. "Roe versus Wade is overturned after 50 years of lobbying, building centers of hope to serve pregnant women, on our knees praying, off our knees marching and ensuring the powerful pro-life voice could be heard in our elections. We have arrived at this day, a culminating day of so much and the first day of a bright pro-life future for our nation."

She said the decision allows the "will of the people to make its way into the law through our elected officials" and declared that "our best days are ahead."

Attorney General Merrick Garland vows to 'use every tool' to protect abortion rights

Attorney General Merrick Garland, who as Barack Obama's 2016 Supreme Court nominee was denied a confirmation vote by then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, vowed to put the full weight of the Department of Justice behind protecting abortion rights.

"The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Court’s decision," he said. "This decision deals a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States. It will have an immediate and irreversible impact on the lives of people across the country. And it will be greatly disproportionate in its effect — with the greatest burdens felt by people of color and those of limited financial means."

“The Justice Department will use every tool at our disposal to protect reproductive freedom. And we will not waver from this Department’s founding responsibility to protect the civil rights of all Americans," he added.


Mayor Eric Adams says people around the country 'welcome' to access abortion care in New York City

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams lashed out at the Supreme Court on Friday, saying that "politics came before people at the highest court in the land."

"What the court has done today ignores the opinions of the majority of Americans, as it helps states control women’s bodies, their choices, and their freedoms," the Democrat said in a statement, adding that the decision puts lives at risk.

"There is nothing to call this Supreme Court opinion but an affront to basic human rights and one that aims to shackle women and others in reproductive bondage."

Adams sought to reassure New Yorkers, saying that they can still access safe, legal abortions in the city. He also said that people around the country seeking the procedure are "welcome here" to access those services.

Massachusetts Gov. Baker signs executive order protecting abortion providers

In response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican who is not running for re-election, signed an executive order Friday protecting health care providers performing abortions from losing their licenses or receiving other discipline based on potential charges from out of state, he said in a statement.

“Under the executive order, the Commonwealth will not cooperate with extradition requests from other states pursuing criminal charges against individuals who received, assisted with, or performed reproductive health services that are legal in Massachusetts,” the statement said.

The order, he said, also prohibits any “Executive Department agencies” from assisting another state’s investigation into a person or entity for receiving or delivering reproductive health care services that are legal in Massachusetts.

“This executive order will further preserve that right and protect reproductive health care providers who serve out of state residents. In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v Wade, it is especially important to ensure that Massachusetts providers can continue to provide reproductive health care services without concern that the laws of other states may be used to interfere with those services or sanction them for providing services that are lawful in the Commonwealth,” Baker said.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said: “We are proud of the Commonwealth’s history of ensuring access to reproductive health care, and will continue to do so, despite today’s ruling from the Supreme Court.”

Michigan Gov. Whitmer says ruling means her state's 1931 law banning abortion takes effect

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Michigan's Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement Friday it was a "sad day for America" and that her state's "antiquated" 1931 law banning abortion without exceptions for rape or incest will take effect.

The law also criminalizes doctors and nurses who provide reproductive care, she said.

"For now, a Michigan court has put a temporary hold on the law, but that decision is not final and has already been challenged. The 1931 law would punish women and strip away their right to make decisions about their own bodies," Whitmer said. "I want every Michigander to know that I am more determined than ever to protect access to safe, legal abortion."

She said she filed a lawsuit in April to urge her state's Supreme Court to determine whether the Michigan Constitution protects the right to an abortion.

"We need to clarify that under Michigan law, access to abortion is not only legal, but constitutionally protected," she said.

Barack Obama calls Roe v. Wade reversal an attack on millions

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Former President Barack Obama said the court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade targets the freedom of millions of Americans in the U.S.

"Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans," he wrote in a tweet.

He noted that states across the country have already passed bills restricting abortion rights, and pointed people who want to fight against these restrictions toward Planned Parenthood and the United State of Women.

In a statement, former first lady Michelle Obama said she was "heartbroken for people around this country who just lost the fundamental right to make informed decisions about their own bodies."

Recent NBC News poll showed a majority of people in U.S. didn't want Roe v. Wade overturned

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

A majority of people in the U.S. — 63 percent — said in a recent NBC News poll in May that they didn't believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned, compared to 30% of people who wanted the abortion rights ruling to be reversed.

Additionally, a combined 60% of Americans across the country said abortion should be either always legal (37%) or legal most of the time (23%) — the highest share believing it should be legal on this question, which dates back to 2003. 

By party, 84 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of Independents want abortion to be legal, versus just 33 percent of Republicans. 

The poll was conducted after the draft opinion of Alito's Roe opinion leaked.

Biden to address Supreme Court ruling in remarks at 12:30 p.m. ET

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

President Joe Biden will address the Supreme Court's ruling in remarks at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET, according to the White House.

The guidance said that Biden will deliver his response in the Cross Hall.

Durbin announces Judiciary hearing to explore "grim reality of a post-Roe America"

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next month to "explore the grim reality of a post-Roe America."

Durbin, who chairs the committee, made the announcement in a series of tweets in which he vowed to keep "fighting to enshrine into law a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices.”

"The Court’s decision to erase the right to an abortion will not only lead to the denial of critical health care services, but also criminal consequences for women & health care providers in states eager to embrace draconian restrictions," Durbin wrote. "We cannot let our children inherit a nation that is less free and more dangerous than the one their parents grew up in."

He also urged voters to elect "pro-choice Democrats who will write abortion protections into law" in the midterm elections.

LGBTQ rights could be at risk post-Roe, advocates warned before ruling

Julie Moreau

The leaked initial draft of the Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade had advocates worried about what the precedent’s reversal could mean for the LGBTQ community’s recently gained rights. 

Cathryn Oakley, an attorney with the Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ rights group, stressed that the high court’s decision would have a direct impact on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. 

“The LGBTQ community relies on reproductive health care. LGBTQ people seek and receive abortions, they seek and receive and use contraception,” she said. 

The willingness of the court to overturn precedent could, some advocates fear, signal that other federally protected rights of minorities may be in jeopardy, such as same-sex marriage, which became the law of the land with the Obergefell v. Hodges case. 

Read more about what LGBTQ rights advocates warned before Friday's ruling.

Virginia Gov. Youngkin says Supreme Court ruling 'rightfully returned power to the people'

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade "has rightfully returned power to the people" and the elected officials of each state.

"I’m proud to be a pro-life Governor and plan to take every action I can to protect life," he said in a statement Friday. "The truth is, Virginians want fewer abortions, not more abortions. We can build a bipartisan consensus on protecting the life of unborn children, especially when they begin to feel pain in the womb, and importantly supporting mothers and families who choose life."

Youngkin, a Republican, said he has called on several lawmakers, including state Sens. Siobhan Dunnavant and Steve Newman, to help "find areas where we can agree and chart the most successful path forward."

The Virginia Assembly is controlled by Republicans and the Senate has a narrow 19-21 Democratic majority.

Manchin says he's 'alarmed,' had trusted Gorsuch and Kavanaugh when they said Roe was settled precedent

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said in a statement that he is "deeply disappointed" by the Supreme Court's decision and "alarmed" that the two Trump-appointed justices that he voted to confirm supported it.

"I trusted Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh when they testified under oath that they also believed Roe v. Wade was settled legal precedent and I am alarmed they chose to reject the stability the ruling has provided for two generations of Americans," he said.

Manchin said he was raised "pro-life" as a Catholic and still maintains that view.

"But I have come to accept that my definition of pro-life may not be someone else’s definition of pro-life. I believe that exceptions should be made in instances of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is in jeopardy," he said.

Manchin said that he supports legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law, saying, "I am hopeful Democrats and Republicans will come together to put forward a piece of legislation that would do just that."

Thomas calls on court to reconsider contraception, same-sex marriage cases

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Justice Clarence Thomas, concurring with the majority ruling, explicitly called on the Supreme Court to overrule the rulings in Griswold v. Connecticut, which protects the right to contraception; Lawrence v. Texas, the right to same-sex intimacy; and Obergefell v. Hodges, the right to same-sex marriage.

“As I have previously explained, 'substantive due process' is an oxymoron that 'lack[s] any basis in the Constitution,'” he wrote.

Chief Justice Roberts warns Dobbs ruling goes too far

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Chief Justice John Roberts voted with the other conservative justices to uphold the Mississippi law in today's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, but urged against going further.

“Surely we should adhere closely to principles of judicial restraint here, where the broader path the Court chooses entails repudiating a constitutional right we have not only previously recognized, but also expressly reaffirmed applying the doctrine of stare decisis,” he wrote.

ACLU slams court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as "shameful"

Tat Bellamy-Walker

The American Civil Liberties Union called the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade "shameful."

“Second-class status for women has once again become the law because of today’s decision," Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said in a statement. "We can wave away any pretense that this is the United States of America when it comes to the fundamental right to decide when and if to become a parent."

Romero warned that the decision will have far-reaching consequences.

“The Supreme Court has just plunged this country and itself into a historic crisis, one that will reverberate far beyond the ability to get an abortion."

Alito says Constitution 'makes no reference to abortion'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion overturning Roe v. Wade that the Constitution "makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision" including the due process clause of the 14th Amendment.

"It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives," wrote Alito, who then quoted from an opinion written by then-Justice Antonin Scalia from the Planned Parenthood v. Casey case: "The permissibility of abortion, and the limitations, upon it, are to be resolved like most important questions in our democracy: by citizens trying to persuade one another and then voting."

In emotional remarks, Nancy Pelosi denounces Supreme Court, Trump, GOP

In searing and emotional remarks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi excoriated the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade and blamed former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for laying the groundwork for the decision.

"Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers," Pelosi told reporters at a news conference.

She described the top court's ruling as "dangerous" and urged people who support abortion rights and access to vote in the November midterm elections.

"In the Congress, be aware of this, Republicans are plotting a nationwide abortion ban. They cannot be allowed to have a majority in the Congress to do that," Pelosi said.

'Today, Life Won,' Pence says

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has long been opposed to abortion, celebrated the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, saying "Today, Life Won."

"By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life and I commend the Justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions," he wrote in a series of tweets.

"Now that Roe v. Wade has been consigned to the ash heap of history," he continued, "a new arena in the cause of life has emerged and it is incumbent on all who cherish the sanctity of life to resolve that we will take the defense of the unborn and support for women in crisis pregnancies to every state Capitol in America."

He added, "Having been given this second chance for Life, we must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land."

March for Life president praises decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

March for Life President Jeanne Mancini praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn an “unpopular and extreme abortion policy on our nation.”

March for Life is an annual rally held in the nation’s capital condemning the 1973 decision by the nation’s highest court that legalized abortion nationwide.

“Today, the ability to determine whether and when to limit abortion was returned to the American people who have every right to enact laws like Mississippi’s which protect mothers and unborn babies after 15 weeks — when they have fully formed noses, can suck their thumb, and feel pain,” Mancini said in a statement. “We will continue to march until abortion is unthinkable because equality begins in the womb.”

In concurrence, Kavanaugh says states can't bar residents from traveling elsewhere for abortion

In a concurrence to the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that states cannot block people from traveling to other states to seek an abortion because of the "constitutional right to interstate travel."

But many legal observers and political analysts expect that exact issue will be at the center of the next chapter of this fight.

'One of the darkest days our country has ever seen,' Schumer says

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said a fundamental right was "stolen" from American women Friday when the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion. He called it "one of the darkest days our country has ever seen."

"Millions upon millions of American women are having their rights taken from them by five unelected Justices on the extremist MAGA court," he said in a statement.

"These justices, appointed by Republicans and presiding without any accountability, have stolen a fundamental right to have an abortion away from American women in this country. These justices were intentionally appointed by Republicans to overturn Roe v. Wade and every Republican Senator knew this would happen if they voted to confirm these radical justices."

Schumer, D-N.Y., condemned Republicans for their "complicit" decision in the ruling, saying it will have "consequences for women and families in this country."

"Today’s decision makes crystal clear the contrast as we approach the November elections: elect more MAGA Republicans if you want nationwide abortion bans, the jailing of women and doctors and no exemptions for rape or incest," he continued. "Or, elect more pro-choice Democrats to save Roe and protect a woman’s right to make their own decisions about their body, not politicians."

Rep. Dean blasts court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade as 'horrifying'

Tat Bellamy-Walker

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., condemned the court's decision.

"Absolutely horrifying," Dean said. "It's taking us back more than 50 years."

She urged people to fight back against the opinion.

"People need to be out protesting," she said. "Peacefully protesting and voting.”

INTERACTIVE: Live in a state set to ban abortions? See how far you’d have to travel for care


Without Roe v. Wade, women and girls seeking an abortion in states where the procedure will be banned will face long treks, often by multiple means of transportation, in order to get care.

NBC News analyzed the distance to the nearest open abortion clinic from major cities in 21 states that either have pre-existing or pending state-level abortion bans that will go into effect following the Supreme Court’s ruling Friday to overturn Roe. Women and girls there will have to drive 4 hours on average in order to receive care in bordering states where abortion remains legal.

View the graphic here.

Mississippi AG: 'Roe v. Wade is finally behind us'

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican who advocated for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, celebrated what she characterized as a "new era in American history."

Pelosi says Supreme Court achieved Republicans' 'dark and extreme goal'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the Supreme Court has "achieved the GOP's dark and extreme goal of ripping away women's right to make their own reproductive health decisions."

"Because of Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, the Republican Party and their supermajority on the Supreme Court, American women today have less freedom than their mothers," she wrote in a statement.

Pelosi said that congressional Republicans are "plotting a nationwide abortion ban," and vowed that "Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v. Wade into law."

"This cruel ruling is outrageous and heart-wrenching," she added. "But make no mistake: the rights of women and all Americans are on the ballot this November."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene celebrates decision overturning Roe

Marjorie Taylor Greene, the firebrand Republican congresswoman from Georgia, told reporters Friday that the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade is a "blessing" and an "answered prayer."

"I've prayed for this my whole life," Greene said.

Democratic PACs say voters must 'fight like hell' this November

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

Two major Democratic political action committees, the Senate Majority PAC and House Majority PAC, criticized the high court in a joint statement Friday for taking away a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

Senate Majority PAC President JB Poersch and House Majority PAC Executive Director Abby Curran Horrell said the ruling "flies in the face of decades of precedent and is a direct assault on the constitutional right to a safe, legal abortion that’s been guaranteed for nearly a half-century."

They said that abortion rights will be a top issue in the current midterm elections cycle, saying they "will determine whether Republicans can place cruel new restrictions on reproductive rights, ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions, criminalize abortion providers, and punish women. The stakes of defending our Democratic Senate and House majorities have never been higher."

"Come November, we must elect Democrats to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives who will fight like hell to ensure that our constitutional rights are enshrined into law and serve as the last line of defense against Republicans’ extremist attacks on our fundamental freedoms," they said.

Planned Parenthood: 'The court has failed us all'

Planned Parenthood, one of the leading providers of reproductive health care in the U.S., said in a tweet that the Supreme Court has "failed us all" but added "this is far from over."

Key abortion rights group blasts Supreme Court decision

The Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, excoriated the "anti-abortion ideologues on the U.S. Supreme Court" who overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has taken the radical step of overturning Roe v. Wade outright, thus unleashing uncertainty and harm onto people asking for nothing more than to exercise their fundamental right to bodily autonomy," Guttmacher Institute President and CEO Dr. Herminia Palacio said.

"While much has been lost today, the fight is far from over," she added. "The anti-abortion movement is already pushing for a national abortion ban. All of us seeking to defend policies that support bodily autonomy must be ready to meet them with all we have.

"We must protect abortion rights and access in as many states as possible and achieve federal legislation to ensure that anyone, anywhere who needs an abortion can get one freely and with dignity."

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy says ruling will 'save countless innocent lives'

Rebecca Shabadis in Washington, D.C.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., applauded the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday, saying that the ruling will "save countless innocent lives."  

"The Supreme Court is right to return the power to protect the unborn to the people’s elected representatives in Congress and the states," he said in a statement.

McCarthy added, "In the days and weeks following this decision, we must work to continue to reject extreme policies that seek to allow late-term abortions and taxpayer dollars to fund these elective procedures."

The GOP leader also said that "much work remains to protect the most vulnerable among us."

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, a momentous break from a half-century of rulings on one of the nation’s most controversial issues. About half the states have already indicated they would move to ban the procedure.

Supporters of abortion rights were bracing for the loss after an early draft of the opinion was leaked in May, touching off several days of demonstrations in more than two dozen cities. Protesters even showed up outside the homes of some members of the court.

Read more here.