:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49962451/GettyImages-543224446.0.jpg)
Hillary Clinton is cheering the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to strike down a Texas law that would have curbed abortion access in the state, arguing the Texas law risked ending "every woman’s right to safe, legal abortion, no matter where she lives."
Clinton has been an advocate for abortion rights since her earliest days in politics, and has become a target for pro-life groups who fear the expansion of abortion access under another Democratic presidency. Indeed, Clinton has not just defended the status quo of abortion rights, but also called for repealing the Hyde amendment, which would allow low-income women to use federal funds for abortion under Medicaid.
She doubled down on her firmly pro-choice stance in response to the court’s ruling in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
"We need a president who will defend women’s health and rights and appoint Supreme Court justices who recognize Roe v. Wade as settled law," Clinton said in a press statement. "We must continue to protect access to safe and legal abortion — not just on paper, but in reality."
She also took a shot at Donald Trump, who suggested in March that "there has to be some form of punishment" for women who have abortions — a position he then walked back (sort of) after a fierce backlash.
Clinton’s full statement follows.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is a victory for women across America. By striking down politically motivated restrictions that made it nearly impossible for Texans to exercise their full reproductive rights, the Court upheld every woman’s right to safe, legal abortion, no matter where she lives.
I applaud everyone who flooded the Texas Capitol to speak out against these attacks on women’s health, the brave women and men across the country who shared their stories, and the health care providers who fought for their patients and refused to give up.
Our fight is far from over. In Texas and across the country, a woman’s constitutional right to make her own health decisions is under attack. In the first three months of 2016, states introduced more than 400 measures restricting access to abortion. We’ve seen a concerted, persistent attack on women’s health and rights at the federal level. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has said women should be punished for having abortions. He also pledged to defund Planned Parenthood and appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Today’s decision is a reminder of how much is at stake in this election. We need a president who will defend women’s health and rights and appoint Supreme Court justices who recognize Roe v. Wade as settled law. We must continue to protect access to safe and legal abortion – not just on paper, but in reality.
