Major political figures including Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have spoken out against the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to outlaw abortion. President Joe Biden addressed the matter shortly after noon, viewable above.
On Friday, the Supreme Court officially overturned the 1973 decision, which protected abortion rights across the country. “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," wrote Justice Samuel Alito in the ruling. "Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. ... It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."
Shortly after the announcement, many current and past elected officials shared their responses on Twitter. Many, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, were particularly critical of the ruling, which impacts millions across the United States and puts women at risk.
“Overturning Roe and outlawing abortions will never make them go away," wrote Ocasio-Cortez in a tweet. “It only makes them more dangerous, especially for the poor + marginalized."
"Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues—attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans," wrote Barack Obama in a series of tweets on Friday morning, urging people to vote in the midterms this November. "If we want judges who will protect all, and not just some, of our rights, then we've got to elect officials committed to doing the same."
Many artists, actors, and activists shared their responses on social media as well.
"I’m outraged! What the supreme court has done is BULLSHIT," wrote Halle Berry. “Something has to be done! Guns have more rights than women. Stop this war on women & keep your laws off of our bodies. We have to ban together & NOT accept this! We can’t just post about it, we must DO SOMETHING about it."
The decision has also led to certain companies offering to cover travel costs for abortions if employees live in an affected states. Per the Hollywood Reporter, Disney, Netflix, Comcast, Paramount, Warner Bros Discovery, Sony, WME, CAA, and UTA have all communicated with employees about their respective healthcare policies.
Netflix is offering $10,00 lifetime allowance for travel reimbursement, which also covers travel costs for cancer treatment, transplants, and gender affirming care. Disney is also covering travel costs, as is Paramount.
See President Biden’s address up top, and check out what the Obamas, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, AOC, Stacey Abrams, and more had to say about the ruling below. Their tweets are followed by posts from artists, actors, and other notable figures including Viola Davis, Keke Palmer, Questlove, Shonda Rhimes, Mark Ruffalo, and more.
