The reaction was swift after the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortions nationwide.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decried the decision.
"Today, the Republican-controlled Supreme Court has achieved the GOP’s dark and extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions," she said.
Republican leadership in the House of Representatives released a joint statement, praising the decision to leave abortion laws up to states.
"Every unborn child is precious, extraordinary, and worthy of protection," said the statement from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Steve Scalise and Rep. Elise Stefanik
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called Friday one of the "darkest days" the country has ever seen.
"These justices—appointed by Republicans and presiding without accountability—have stolen the fundamental right to abortion," Schumer said.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was part of the Trump administration, which appointed Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, all of whom who voted to overturn Roe, commended the decision.
“Today, Life Won," he said.
Former President Barack Obama also offered his opinion on the court overturning a 50-year right.
"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," he said.
It wasn't just Americans reacting to the decision. British Prime Minister called the decision a "big step backwards."
Louisiana Officials React to Supreme Court Decision:
Reverend J. Douglas Deshotel - Bishop of Lafayette
The decision by the United States Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade is a welcomed answer to the prayers and efforts of all people of good will. Human life is sacred at all stages from the moment of conception to natural death. The right to life is a guarantee found in the founding documents of our nation. The human person is sacred because we are created in the image and likeness of God.
This decision is an important step in bringing our society to respect all life. Given the recent atrocities and mass shootings the message of life is as important as ever today. While each state legislature will be able to still enact abortion laws, let us continue our prayers and efforts that our nation value the sacredness of every human life.
Attorney General Jeff Landry
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad. Today, along with millions across Louisiana and America, I rejoice with my departed Mom and the unborn children with her in Heaven!
The Supreme Court has finally returned to the Constitution and delegated power back to the people. Our State’s representatives, held accountable by their constituents, should – and now again can – determine abortion policy not the federal government.
As noted in both my legal brief [t.e2ma.net] to the Supreme Court and the majority’s opinion: the Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision.
Because of the Court’s ruling in this case about a Mississippi law limiting abortions after 15 weeks of gestation with exceptions for health emergencies and fetal abnormalities, Louisiana’s trigger law [t.e2ma.net] banning abortion is now in effect.
My office and I will do everything in our power to ensure the laws of Louisiana that have been passed to protect the unborn are enforceable, even if we have to go back to court.
As the chief legal officer for our State, I will continue defending Louisiana’s pro-life laws and working to ensure the health and safety of women and their babies.
Petrice Sams-Abiodun, PhD, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships-Louisiana, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
With this ruling, millions of Louisianans have lost access to safe, legal abortion and their fundamental human right to control their body, health, and life. We know, Black, Latino and Indigenous people, and people living with low incomes and in rural areas will feel the impact of this ruling most severely because these communities have long faced barriers to essential health care due to structural racism and discrimination. While we have seen the writing on the wall for decades, it is no less devastating.”
“Planned Parenthood believes every single person deserves access to sexual and reproductive health care no matter their income, state of residence, immigration status or zip code. Our health centers remain open and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure all people get the sexual and reproductive health care they need.
Congressman Clay Higgins
Today’s ruling is a major victory for life. The sovereign states will now have greater authority to implement strong pro-life protections. The Supreme Court’s majority justices showed courage and resolve in standing by the leaked draft opinion. The radical left-wing mob did not and will not win. We will protect innocent life.
U.S. Senator John Kennedy
Despite attempts to intimidate the justices, they did their work. Roe v. Wade has misrepresented the Constitution since the ruling was rendered, and today’s decision to return the issue of abortion to the American people and the states corrects a legal and moral error. Louisianians have worked for a long time to have this freedom that is rightly and constitutionally theirs. I am very pleased with today’s decision.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell
This ruling strikes down a half-century of precedent, settled law and most importantly, access to safe and responsible medical care for millions of women.
A half-century of women empowered to make their own healthcare decisions has now been tossed away bya half-dozen activist, fundamentalist Supreme Court Justices obsessed with driving a political agenda.
A half-century of women being able to access safe medical care who now find themselves at risk of bodily harm, and even death, as this ruling reopens the 'Back Alley' for business.
We mourn not just for the future this heartbreaking and dangerous ruling creates for the women of today but also for the barriers and burdens this reprehensible ruling creates for the women of tomorrow.
Our daughters and granddaughters deserve better than to grow up in a country where the most personal of decisions are regulated by politicians.
Congressman Troy Carter
This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court has stripped rights away from the American people! This infringement on the right to privacy has put not just the lives of women at risk, but everyone.
Louisiana's three abortion clinics are now forced to stop performing LIFE-SAVING care because of Louisiana's trigger law. This new reality we live in not only includes forced birth but potentially death from unsafe at-home medical procedures or a dangerous pregnancy for individuals who can not get the newly required two doctors' opinions.
This decision isn't about protecting life, if that were true our country and state would be focused on investing in care and resources for our children after birth!
I want you all to know that in Congress I will fight to expand access to reproductive healthcare and restore the rights and freedoms we are guaranteed as Americans by our Constitution!
Lafayette NAACP President Ravis Maritnez
The Supreme Court has reversed decades of judicial precedent with reversing Roe v Wade and taken away an essential freedom of millions of women. Women deserve the freedom to make their own reproductive health care decisions. This is a woman’s right - and her right alone.
What that means for Louisiana has yet to be seen, yet access to abortion care has been critical to women’s equal participation in society and reversing Roe v Wade will upend the progress women have fought to achieve in our state and Nation.
The NAACP Lafayette Branch echos the sentiments of our National General Counsel Jannette McCarthy Wallace when she stated;
"Today's Supreme Court decision marks a significant regression of our country." As a legal professional, I am horrified by this decision. As a Black woman, I am outraged to my core. The deciding Justices have ignored fundamental civil rights guaranteed by our Constitution and years of judicial precedent to advance a politically partisan agenda. There is no denying the fact that this is a direct attack on all women, and Black women stand to be disproportionately impacted by the court's egregious assault on basic human rights. We must all stand up to have our voices heard in order to protect our nation from the further degradation of civil rights protections we have worked so hard to secure."
Decades of settled law has been set aside with this decision. It is clear that our constitutional rights are being threatened in ways that we have never seen before – our voting rights, our right of fair representation through redistricting, and now the rights of women to decide what’s best for her health and her family. We must fight, knowing that when we fight – we win.
The mission of the NAACP is to achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by advancing policies and practices that expand human and civil rights, eliminates discrimination, and accelerate the well-being, education, and the economic security of Black people and all persons of color. The Lafayette Branch holds its monthly meeting the first Thursday of each month at 6pm. It’s open to the general public to attend in-person or vitual.
