'A Staggering Setback': PA Leaders React To Roe v. Wade Being Overturned

SOUTHEASTERN, PA — The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade did not sit well Friday with Southeastern Pennsylvania Democratic lawmakers, who reacted immediately and negatively.

Reaction from Republicans came slower, but state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for governor, previously said he supported overturning Roe, and a local Catholic leader praised the decision Friday.

The decision returned the issue of when and whether a woman can get an abortion to the states.

In Pennsylvania, abortions are legal for up to 24 weeks.

Gov. Tom Wolf issued a statement assuring Pennsylvanians that women will still be able to get an abortion in the Keystone state.

RELATED: Roe V. Wade Struck Down, Future Of Abortion In PA Now Up To Voters

“Nonetheless, I am deeply disappointed in today’s Supreme Court opinion and the impact the decision will have nationwide,” Wolf said in a statement.

Wolf’s term ends in six months. The decision to reverse Roe v. Wade makes the November election more impactful.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democratic candidate for governor, said he will protect women's freedom to have abortions.

“I will not let our daughters grow up in a world where they have fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers had in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said Friday in a statement on Twitter.

Mastriano said in a statement in May — when a draft of the final decision was leaked that indicated the court was about to overturn Roe — that he supports overturning Roe.

“The time is now for action to support the rights of the unborn,” he said in the May 3 statement.

Justice Samuel Alito Jr. said the 1973 Roe ruling, and repeated subsequent high court decisions reaffirming Roe, "must be overruled" because they were "egregiously wrong."

Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett also voted to overturn Roe.

Chief Justice Roberts voted to uphold the Mississippi law to ban abortions after 15 weeks but said Roe should not be overturned.

Justices Stephen Breyer, and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan — the latter two appointed by President Barack Obama — dissented.

Ready to respond

As soon as the decision was announced, a flood of reactions came from federal, state and local elected Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, a Chester County Democrat, said Roe had meant freedom for women and families to choose.

“I support the right to choose,” Houlahan said. “The conversation around reproductive health is extremely personal. And like the majority of Americans, I believe Roe should have been upheld.”

Guy Ciarrocchi, Republican candidate for the 6th District, said he will provide a statement in the near future.

Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, a Democrat representing Delaware County, said: “The Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health is unprecedented and will have a devastating impact across our country. It is rare in the United States for millions of Americans to wake up with fewer rights than they had the day before, but that is precisely what the Court has done here.

“For years, reproductive health care advocates were mocked for sounding the alarm about abortion rights. We were told Roe and Casey were settled law — today’s decision makes clear we were justified in our concern. Women are now facing the greatest threat to our reproductive systems.”

State Rep. Melissa Shusterman of Chester County said on Facebook that she is disgusted with the decision.

“Overturning Roe v. Wade will result in millions of women losing the ability to make their own, extremely personal, and private health care decisions,” Shusterman said.

“Unfortunately, I have colleagues that will immediately begin working to make abortion illegal in Pennsylvania.

“This decision will result in an increase in maternal mortality rates. It isn't a pro-life decision; it's an anti-choice decision.”

Shusterman added: “Roe protected the freedom for women and their families to make their own health care decisions. I will always support the freedom for women to make decisions for their own body.”

Shusterman also said she is working on a legislative package that will end the practice of funding organizations that do not provide women with information about abortions.

State Rep. Dan Williams, a Chester County Democrat, said the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade is a stark reminder of the nation’s ability to classify, marginalize and reduce one’s individual rights and treat them as second-class citizens.

“I’ve been a victim of this, too, as have many individuals in the Black and Brown communities,” Williams said. “We had minimal rights, and what rights we did have often were subject to scrutiny and held under a microscope. Now, this same scenario is happening to women — we can’t stand idly by and let history repeat itself.”

Williams said he will not stop fighting for the right for everyone to be treated equally and have sanctity over their own bodies, minds and life decisions.

State Rep. Christina Sappey said she stands with Americans who feel angry, outraged and fearful over the decision.

“As a woman, I have grown up knowing that I had control over my body and my personal healthcare,” said Sappey, a Chester County Democrat. “Witnessing this freedom being taken away is deeply troubling, and the thought that our nation’s highest court does not trust women to make their own decisions is beyond disturbing, it’s incomprehensible.”

Sappey said the decision of a woman to carry a pregnancy to term or not belongs to the woman and her family, her health care provider and her faith leaders.

Sappey vowed to continue to work to protect the rights of women and families.

Rep. Marci Mustello, a Butler County Republican, said she will continue to fight for pro-life policies.
Mustello said that House Bill 2252 has been proposed to add an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution clarifying that there is no right to an abortion or abortion funding.
The proposed bill is in the House Health Committee.

Archbishop of Philadelphia responds

Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson J. Perez was also prepared to respond early Friday morning.
Perez said he is grateful to the U.S. Supreme Court for hearing Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, and for the opinion that affirms the deep value inherent to every human life.­

“As Catholics, we believe that life is God’s most precious gift and that we share a responsibility to uphold its beauty and sanctity from conception to natural death,” the statement said.

“In short, to be truly pro-life means to recognize the presence of God in everyone and to care for them accordingly.”

Perez said the church’s programs provide formula, diapers, education and comprehensive support services to pregnant women, fathers, new parents and single parents.

“We have distributed more than a million meals in the greater Philadelphia region to those struggling with food insecurity,” Perez wrote. “It is my personal hope that we can all live and work peacefully, side-by-side, to create a true culture of life in our nation.”

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney responds

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said regarding the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey in defiance of nearly 50 years of precedent:

“I am deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court, an institution we depend upon to protect our residents and most fundamental values, has arrived at a decision that will reverse Roe v. Wade and make it even more difficult for people to access an abortion if they make the entirely personal and private decision to seek one.

“Today is a staggering setback and this decision sadly paves the way for even more attacks on our constitutional rights."

The mayor said it is negligent to "ban abortion" when abortion procedures will still occur but are more likely to be unsafe.

“If you are sad, scared, or angry, I want you to know that you are not alone and this fight isn’t over,” the mayor said.

“I am thankful that abortion is still legal in Pennsylvania, and right here in Philadelphia. Most Americans and most Pennsylvanians support legal access to abortion, and I stand with them. We are determined to do everything in our power to protect this right and support anyone affected by the Supreme Court’s decision.”

The city has published an action guide so residents can learn more, find related resources and get involved.