Stacey Abrams expects the U.S. Supreme Court decision eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion will reshape her rematch against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
The Democrat said Friday the 6-3 ruling reversing Roe v. Wade will energize Georgians who are infuriated it will clear the way for sweeping anti-abortion restrictions signed into law by Kemp. The governor celebrated the ruling, saying it would “protect countless unborn lives here in the Peach State.”
In remarks to reporters, Abrams cited an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released in January that showed a majority of voters opposed a decision to overturn the 1973 landmark ruling. And she vowed to persuade the Republican-controlled Legislature to roll back anti-abortion limits.
“If you’re a woman in Georgia,” she said, “you should be terrified right now.”
Here are excerpts of her remarks on the decision:
On how it is being received by Georgians:
“We have good people in the state who know this is wrong. More than half of the state of Georgia disagrees with this decision. The bill that was passed and the law that was signed by Brian Kemp is a law for a small community of people so they can win elections. It has nothing to do with the needs of the women of Georgia, for the families of Georgia. I’m going to do everything I can in this election and beyond to make certain that we can restore the fundamental right to freedom for women in the state of Georgia.”
On how it will affect women who don’t have resources to travel to other states to receive access to abortions:
“This is going to have implications for the health care decisions of women across the state but especially in our rural communities. In our rural communities where we know we have a broken health care system that Brian Kemp refuses to fix. They will now face an additional challenge.
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“This is a travesty. And it is a political decision made by a man who does not care about the women of Georgia. If you are in an urban community, we know that you can’t simply buy your way out of this. You’re going to have to travel 250 miles to try to find some help. And we know for so many Georgians that is not a possibility. I am angry about this decision. I am appalled and I am absolutely committed to pushing back.”
On working with the Republican-controlled Legislature to roll back abortion restrictions if she’s elected:
“Look at the numbers. We know that that bill passed by one vote. And that was a bill that I think was passed in part because no one thought it would actually become law in the state of Georgia. We live in a state where half of our counties do not have an OBGYN. We have a broken healthcare system. We are underfunded. We are underserved. And the women in the state of Georgia are about to be under assault.”
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“This has implications that were not considered during those debates because they were considered theoretical and highly unlikely to come to fruition. Since 2019, so much has changed. And I believe that the composition of the Georgia Legislature and the ire and voting power of the women of Georgia will absolutely signal that we can make this right.”
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