FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2020
Media contacts:
NYAAF Communications Co-Managers
May Sifuentes
may@nyaaf.org
Jenna McDavid
jenna@nyaaf.org
Ashwin
ashwin@nyaaf.org
New York, NY—On October 26th, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court by the United States Senate in a highly partisan 52-48 vote. NYAAF joins in the collective outpouring of heartbreak and anger around this confirmation, which occurred just eight days before the 2020 election. To date, over 75 million Americans have already cast their ballots by mail or voted early at an in-person polling location.
In her time as a judge and law professor, Justice Barrett has signaled her unwillingness to support the right of a person to seek an abortion, and her record as a judge demonstrates her desire to limit reproductive rights to the fullest extent possible. Furthermore, Justice Barrett has opposed the Affordable Care Act, defended the dissenters in Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court ruling which made marriage equality the law of the land, and suggested that Title IX does not apply to transgender individuals. The lifetime appointment of Justice Barrett to the Supreme Court threatens our civil rights for a generation, and it does not reflect the will of the people.
As an abortion fund, we know that the basic legal right to an abortion is the floor, not the ceiling. Even with legal protections for abortion at the federal level, far too many people face insurmountable barriers to care. We are resolute in our commitment to building a world where all people have the resources they need to build the families they want and care for these families. Our strength comes from our commitment to each other and this vision — not the courts or the White House. Justice Barrett’s confirmation, and the stacking of local courts with anti-abortion judges, will make this work incredibly challenging but we will root ourselves in the power of our community and fight hard.
While we may be feeling grief, anxiety, and rage around this confirmation, we do not feel hopeless. Abortion funds are uniquely primed for this moment. NYAAF needs your partnership to continue responding to callers’ needs during these changing times. Please advance abortion access by making a generous gift to NYAAF today. You can also deepen your relationship to abortion access work in New York by becoming a volunteer.