AG Garland & ASG Gupta Met with the Reproductive Rights Task Force on the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

The Attorney General opened the conference by expressing his condolences to the families and community of Monterey Park for their recent losses after a mass shooting on January 21st. He also noted his thanks to the prosecutors, agents and other staff regarding the guilty verdict of four Oath Keepers in connection with their criminal conduct on January 6th surrounding the attack on the United States Capitol.

He then stated, “50 years ago, the Supreme Court decided Roe versus Wade, holding that the right to an abortion was protected by the Constitution. In the decades that followed, the Court repeatedly recognized and reaffirmed this right. Again and again, these decisions recognized that few choices are more significant and personal than whether and when to have children.” -Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

“But last summer, the Court overturned Roe and renounced this fundamental right...many of us feared that the decision would deal a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States...And that the greatest burdens would be felt by people of color and those of limited financial means.” -Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

“Unfortunately, that is exactly what has happened. Legislatures across the country took steps to impose bans and other restrictions on access to abortion, with devastating consequences for women’s health, their safety, and their civil rights.” -Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

“Our message today is clear and bears repeating: The Justice Department, through the Task Force, is committed to doing everything we can to protect continued lawful access to abortion medication and other reproductive health services.” -Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta