This statement can be attributed to Indivar Dutta-Gupta, president and executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). 

Washington, D.C., June 24, 2022 – The U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will have immediate, grave consequences for the economic security and opportunity of millions—particularly those from communities with low incomes along with people of color and immigrants. By overturning the long-standing constitutional right to abortion care, today’s decision will allow states across the country to ban abortions. This ruling, the state abortion bans already in place, those triggered into effect, and those sure to follow will most harm those with the least resources, undermining their freedom and intensifying existing inequities. 

Comprehensive reproductive care is—first and foremost—fundamental to economic security and opportunity, bodily autonomy, and broader health care access for women and people who may become pregnant. But reproductive justice is important for all of us, as it contributes to child wellbeing, strong families, and an economy that delivers widespread prosperity. 

The right to an abortion has been settled case law for the past 50 years. The erosion of this and other constitutional protections will cause dire and disproportionate harm to communities with low incomes, communities of color, and other groups that have historically been marginalized. Because of its central role in allowing women and birthing people control over their own lives, reproductive justice is essential for economic justice.  

CLASP stands in solidarity with our partners working to protect reproductive freedom and the constitutional rights of everyone. We call on lawmakers at all levels—in state legislatures and in Congress—to codify robust abortion access immediately.