Sarah Godlewski: Democrats Must Get Off the Sidelines and Protect Abortion Rights

MADISON – Following a report by the Washington Post that Republicans in the Senate and antiabortion activists across the country are gearing up to make a nationwide abortion ban a reality, State Treasurer and candidate for U.S. Senate Sarah Godlewski slammed Democrats in the U.S. Senate for refusing to pass popular and necessary legislation to protect reproductive freedom once and for all.

“We have reached a crisis point, Republicans across the country are outlawing abortion in America and yet somehow too many Democrats have treated and continue to treat abortion rights as an afterthought or an extra credit project,” said Sarah Godlewski. “We have had almost 50 years to codify Roe into law. Enough is enough. Democrats need to get off the sidelines and stop ignoring Republican attacks on our reproductive rights. Women will die if we don’t.”

Washington Post: The next frontier for the antiabortion movement: A nationwide ban

Leading antiabortion groups and their allies in Congress have been meeting behind the scenes to plan a national strategy that would kick in if the Supreme Court rolls back abortion rights this summer, including a push for a strict nationwide ban on the procedure if Republicans retake power in Washington.

[…]

Activists say their confidence stems from progress on two fronts: At the Supreme Court, a conservative majority appears ready to weaken or overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that has protected abortion rights for nearly 50 years. And activists argue that in Texas, Republicans have paid no apparent political price for banning abortion after cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks of pregnancy.

While a number of states have recently approved laws to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy — the limit established in the Mississippi legislation at the heart of the case pending before the high court — some activists and Republican lawmakers now say those laws are not ambitious enough for the next phase of the antiabortion movement. Instead, they now see the six-week limit — which they call “heartbeat” legislation — as the preferred strategy because it would prevent far more abortions.

In February, Senate Democrats failed to advance legislation that would have codified Roe v. Wade and prohibited government restrictions on access to abortion services. Not afraid to call out her own party, Sarah slammed this critical failure and hosted a roundtable discussion with health care providers and reproductive rights activists to discuss the implications of the vote. Last fall, she launched a six-figure, early voter contact campaign leading with the ad “Afterthought” to prove her commitment to prioritizing reproductive freedom.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.