'We’re Angry': Rep. Jake Auchincloss On Overturning Of Roe V. Wade

NEWTON, MA — Congressman Jake Auchincloss spoke our Friday morning against the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Although Massachusetts is one of 14 states, plus the District of Columbia, with laws in place protecting the right to an abortion, the procedure will likely be nearly impossible to get in about half of U.S. states, including large swaths of the South, Midwest and Northern Plains.

“For the first time in my life, the Supreme Court has rolled back a fundamental individual right,” Auchincloss said in a statement. "And a majority of Americans are angry. We’re angry because we know that women should control decisions about their own bodies and their own lives.”

"Abortion is going to remain safe and legal in Massachusetts, and the Commonwealth is stepping up to be a safe haven for women who are in healthcare deserts,” he continued. "At the federal level, we are also working to protect access to abortion medication. But what we really need is for the Senate to step up and follow the House’s lead in making Roe the law of the land.”

The Supreme Court decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, was released Friday, more than a month after a draft of the opinion leaked.

The Massachusetts Senate voted in May to adopt an amendment that provides enhanced protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care in the state, including abortion procedures. The amendment also protects out-of-state residents who travel to Massachusetts for such services.