Marking the Fiftieth Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision

Continuing the Fight to Protect Women’s Access to Health Care

Above: Gottheimer at the “Bigger than Roe — Women’s Rally” by Women for Choice to support women’s right to choose.

Today, January 22, 2023, marking 50 years since the U.S. Supreme Court recognized the constitutional right to a woman’s right to choose in Roe v. Wade, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined the North Jersey community and local elected officials at the “Bigger than Roe — Women’s Rally” in Westwood.

Roe v. Wade was settled for nearly 50 years before the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling last year. Following the Supreme Court’s new decision, Gottheimer announced action to protect a woman’s right to choose, including against new legislative threats to in vitro fertilization (IVF), to protect women’s data and privacy on reproductive health apps, and to push to fully codify Roe v. Wade in federal law. 

“I want to be clear: I will always oppose any attempt by those in Washington or around the country to roll back the clock and stand between a woman and her doctor, or her faith, when making personal health care choices. A bunch of lawmakers forcing their way into a woman’s doctor’s office is an egregious and unwarranted breach of personal privacy that puts a woman’s life and health care at risk. The Supreme Court’s dangerous ruling last year ended fifty years of precedent and is now having grave widespread consequences,”said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. “Here in Jersey, we protect — and will continue to protect — a woman’s right to choose. All women have a fundamental right to make health care decisions about their own bodies, lives, and futures. This is just common sense, and what most Americans believe is right. We can’t allow extremism to win. We must fight to defend a woman’s right to choose.”

The State of New Jersey has codified the freedom of reproductive choice into law. Gottheimer has cosponsored and voted for the Women’s Health Protection Act, which the House successfully passed in 2021 to codify Roe v. Wade into law. Gottheimer has urged the Senate to do the same. 

Gottheimer was joined today by Bergen County Commissioners Tom Sullivan, Germaine Ortiz, Mary Amoroso, Westwood Councilwoman Erin Collins, local leaders, and members of the North Jersey community.

Below: Gottheimer at the “Bigger than Roe — Women’s Rally” to support women’s right to choose. 

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