As the United States Supreme Court overturned the historical Roe vs Wade precedent taking away abortion rights of women in America, Vice President Kamala Harris remarked that "this is not over."
"The strength of our nation has always been that we move forward. You have the power to elect leaders who will defend and protect your rights. With your vote, you can act. And you have the final word."Kamala Harris, United States Vice President.
The ruling released by the US Supreme Court on Friday, 24 June, was a 6-3 decision in favour of the conservatives.
Harris was in Plainfield, Illinois at CW Avery Family YMCA for a discussion on maternal health and strategies for improving care for pregnant women and mothers across the US, according to a statement released by the White House on Friday afternoon.
Harris said the ruling could impact women across the nation, with an effect on decisions such as when to start a family, using contraception such as IUDs and the morning-after pill.
"This is a healthcare crisis, because understand: Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning."Kamala Harris, United States Vice President.
The vice president also reiterated how the opinion penned by Justice Samuel Alito that was leaked a few weeks ago, could influence people's decision on having children through alternative methods such as IVF.
Former President Barack Obama Denounces SCOTUS Decision
Meanwhile, former US President Barack Obama released a statement denouncing the Supreme Court's decision and urging people to join activists who have been "sounding the alarm on abortion access for years –and act."
"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."Barack Obama, Former President of the United States
'Heartbroken': Former First Lady Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama, meanwhile, released an official statement on her Twitter page saying that she was heartbroken for the people around the US who lost their fundamental right to make an "informed decision" about their own bodies.
She lamented that the women and families in the US were destined to understand the painful lessons from a time before Roe vs Wade was made into a law:
"A time when the government denied women control over their reproductive functions, forced them to move forward with pregnancies they didn't want, and then abandoned them once their babies were born."Michelle Obama, Former First Lady of the United States
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)