On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivered remarks in front of the United States Supreme Court as the justices heard oral arguments in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Dobbs calls into question the constitutionality of a 15-week abortion ban in Mississippi and is the first case in decades that could overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
As I covered, both pro-life and pro-abortion protestors gathered in front of SCOTUS today to advocate for their side of the issue. Rodgers, who is a mother of three, spoke on why she is pro-life and lead a prayer for the Court to make a pro-life decision today.
“I’ve never had an abortion but I gave thought in my younger years of what I would do if I found myself pregnant and alone,” Rodgers said as she opened her remarks.
“I can imagine an abortion may seem like the easy choice,” she added. “It breaks my heart today to think that anyone would think of an abortion as being the only option or the best option.”
Rodgers, who described she wasn’t a “baby person” growing up, said that “the best part of life” is bringing a new life into the world. Her oldest son, Cole, who is 14, was born with Down syndrome, which has been part of the abortion debate for years.
“I cannot imagine life without Cole,” Rodgers said. “His life is worth living. Yet, in this debate over abortion, Down syndrome has been at the forefront.”
Rodgers then explained that a woman named Heidi Crowter, from Coventry, England, recently lost a court case against the British government over its law allowing abortion – up until birth – for unborn babies with Down syndrome.
“This cannot be the United States’ future. This is the country where we believe in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all,” Rodgers said.
“Abortion is the sharpest, soul-searching question before us as a nation. It pierces every heart. People have strongly held beliefs and stories and both sides have been guilty of dismissing one another,” she added. “We need to come together around the science. Around the research. Around the technology.”
“Life begins at conception and it’s worth living,” Rodgers said before leading the group in a prayer.
Watch the remarks below.
As a pro-life mom of three, it’s humbling to stand up and pray for the value and dignity of every life on the steps of the Supreme Court.
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) December 1, 2021
It is my hope that #SCOTUS ensures our laws reflect that every person — born and unborn — has dignity and value. #EmpowerWomenProtectLife pic.twitter.com/bd4cg4wqLc