On Friday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court rules 6-3 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, granting a request from the State of Mississippi that effectively overturns the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, ending unfettered access to abortion across the United States.
In New Hampshire, responses continue to come in following the ruling. Here are those we have accumulated, more will be added as they become available.
RELATED STORY: Protesters rally at City Hall following Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu
Regardless of this Supreme Court decision, access to these services will continue to remain safe, accessible, and legal in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley
This is a devastating decision that will open the door for Mitch McConnell to pass a nationwide abortion ban if Republicans re-take the Senate majority, criminalizing women and doctors, as well as embolden Republicans in New Hampshire to keep pushing their own extreme, anti-choice agenda. We know that Republicans on the ballot will keep trying to pass more restrictions on abortion and reproductive health care, which is why we will keep working every single day to elect Democrats who will fight for women’s reproductive freedom and their right to make their own health care choices.
New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse (R-Salem)
I’m proud of my pro-life record in the New Hampshire State Senate. Last year we settled the law in New Hampshire that permits abortions in the first six months while banning late term and partial birth abortions in the last 12 weeks of a pregnancy – a policy that the vast majority of Granite Staters support. This decision has no impact on New Hampshire. I strongly believe that the states should have the right to govern policy in their respective states as the Supreme Court has ruled.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
This is a dark day for our country. Like millions of Americans who awoke to a terrifying new reality today, I am gutted by the Supreme Court’s decision to turn back 50 years of precedent by overturning Roe v. Wade. My heart breaks for mothers and grandmothers who marched and fought to secure this watershed achievement, and for the girls who now face a grim future without access to life-saving health care and fewer fundamental rights. The highest court in the land failed half of the country today.
Make no mistake: this decision jeopardizes women’s lives. It won’t stop abortions from happening – it will just make them dangerous and potentially deadly. I remember what it was like before Roe. I had friends who sought back-alley abortions. We cannot go back – that’s why I’ve always been committed to building a future that empowers women to control our own bodies and our own futures. Decisions around when and how to start families should belong to us – not extreme politicians or unelected jurists who have no understanding of the circumstances and won’t live with the consequences.
“This decision casts women as second class citizens and cannot become the new status quo. We must channel our mourning and outrage into action, demanding new laws in Congress and in state legislatures across the country to preserve this fundamental human right. And we need to raise our voices like never before at the polls this November to elect leaders who actually trust women. Today, we grieve. Tomorrow, we fight.
Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kevin Smith
Since my early days in the state legislature, I have always been proudly pro-life and I believe all Americans want us to welcome every child born into this world with open arms of love and compassion. I am also keenly aware that there are those who disagree with my pro-life position. I will be a Senator with an open-door policy and I’m always willing to listen and engage in constructive dialogue on the issue.
As the Dobbs decision states, I support returning this matter to the state legislatures so the people in each of these states have a say in determining when it is appropriate to put reasonable restrictions in place such as New Hampshire has done on late-term abortions.
Unfortunately, Senator Maggie Hassan and the extremists in Washington support late-term abortions, taxpayer-funded abortions and they oppose any and all reasonable restrictions on abortion. That is plainly wrong and vastly out of touch with most Granite Staters.
U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Today, the Supreme Court – enabled by politicians who have spent years stacking the Court with radical and extremist justices – has decided to take away a woman’s most fundamental freedom: her bodily autonomy. And in doing so, the Court pulled women — and our country—backwards to a time when women were second-class citizens.
Women have both the capacity and the conscience to make difficult and complicated decisions about their health and their lives. That a majority of the Supreme Court disagrees with that proposition is deeply disturbing. This decision will have a profound impact on women, the economy, and our democracy. The Court’s determination that half of the country’s population – women — should be denied full and equal citizenship goes against our country’s values.
Make no mistake, the end of Roe is not the ultimate goal of anti-choice extremists: Mitch McConnell has made it clear that the ultimate objective is to ban abortion nationwide. Our most important objective must be to hold the line against any efforts to enact a nationwide ban that would send a woman and her doctor to jail for having an abortion.
The danger now facing women and our country is real and it is grave. In denying a woman the right to make her own decisions free from the interference of politicians, the Supreme Court has sent us back 50 years. For the first time in our country’s history, our daughters will grow up with fewer rights than their mothers had. This decision will do everlasting harm to women, jeopardizing their health and allowing them to be charged with a crime for making their own decisions about their bodies.
We cannot let today’s decision be the final word concerning a woman’s freedom. I will keep fighting to protect a woman’s autonomy and her ability to fully participate in our democracy. And I will keep encouraging all Granite Staters— and all Americans—to hold accountable politicians who would substitute their own personal judgments for that of the women that they claim to represent.
The contrast in this race could not be more clear: while Senator Hassan strongly condemns today’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe, her opponents all support it and have made clear that they want to further restrict a woman’s fundamental freedom. This decision now opens the door for Mitch McConnell to achieve his ultimate goal: banning abortion nationwide – and the GOP primary candidates are ready to fall in line. From now until November, our campaign will ensure that New Hampshire voters know that the Republican candidates would work with McConnell in the U.S. Senate to make abortion illegal across this country.
Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Don Bolduc
As a pro-life candidate, I believe the Supreme Court made the right decision. This opinion does not outlaw abortion, it returns the decision to the individual states to make the decision they think is best for its citizens.
Here in New Hampshire, our state has already passed our own laws well before this court decision. That is precisely how the Founding Fathers intended our Constitutional Republic to function.
U.S. Representative Chris Pappas (D-NH-01)
The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade directly threatens the health, safety, and freedom of New Hampshire women and families. I co-sponsored and fought to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure Roe remains the law of the land, and we must continue to fight in Congress to restore the ability of women to make their own health care decisions.
Today’s radical decision overturns 50 years of precedent and goes against public opinion in New Hampshire and across the country that overwhelmingly supports access to safe, legal abortion. If we are going to undo the damage the Court is inflicting on women and families, the election this November is the place to start. My Republican opponents support today’s decision and will vote to ban abortion. This position is extreme and out of touch with New Hampshire values, and I will continue to make the case to voters about the stark choice they have when it comes to reproductive freedom.
In an era where both the Supreme Court and Republican politicians have abandoned Roe v. Wade, we must double down on our commitment to safeguarding a woman’s right to choose. This is a generational fight that we can’t afford to lose.
Republican New Hampshire First Congressional District Candidate Tim Baxter
Today is a historical day for our country. For nearly five decades, the unethical practice of abortion enjoyed Constitutional protections at the federal level. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the issue will now be returned to the states to decide.
We are experiencing history in the making, and our conservative values are winning all across the country. Millions of unborn lives will now be saved in red states thanks to President Donald J. Tump’s appointments and the Supreme Court’s courageous decision.
There is still work to be done. We need proven conservative leaders in Congress who will stand up against the radical abortionists’ attempts to codify abortion into federal law and I look forward to defending the lives of the unborn once I am elected to Congress.
U.S. Representative Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH-02)
I am devastated, but not surprised by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. A generation of women came to rely on the fundamental right to make their own personal reproductive decisions, and all of that progress ends today. This ruling will have an immediate, detrimental impact on women and their health, autonomy, and freedom across our country.
The right to a safe, legal abortion has been the law of the land for nearly five decades, and essential reproductive health care should be available to everyone, regardless of where they live. Today’s Supreme Court ruling inserts the government directly into the private lives of women and their families, and that is not what Granite Staters want. Although this decision is a setback, we will not give up the fight for women’s reproductive freedom. The House passed legislation to codify the precedent of Roe v. Wade — I will continue working with my colleagues to do everything in our power to protect the rights, freedoms, and personal privacy of millions of women and families in our country.
Republican First New Hampshire Congressional Candidate Karoline Leavitt
I applaud the Supreme Court’s righteous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Today, life wins and the rule of law has prevailed.
God Bless the Justices, and thank you President Trump!
Kayla Montgomery, VP of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund
By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court has now officially given politicians permission to control what we do with our bodies, deciding that we can no longer be trusted to determine the course for our own lives. This dangerous and chilling decision will have devastating consequences across the country, forcing people to travel hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles for care or remain pregnant.
In New Hampshire, abortion is still safe and legal before 24 weeks. As the only state in New England without proactive protections for abortion rights, however, we know the future of access will depend upon each election and who holds power in Concord.
Make no mistake – this decision goes beyond abortion. This is about who has power over you, who has the authority to make decisions for you, and who can control how your future is going to be.
It is a dark day for our country, but this is far from over. We will not compromise on our bodies, our dignity, or our freedom. Granite Staters should know that Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund will always fight for you, and we will not back down. Together, we will rebuild and reclaim our freedom.
Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Vikram Mansharamani
The Supreme Court should not be creating laws. That was never the founders’ intent. Today’s decision to overturn Roe is a correction to inappropriate legislation from the bench. Abortion laws are now rightfully in the hands of our legislators.
Vice Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Victory Campaign Committee Representative Alexis Simpson
Today’s decision from a radical Supreme Court is devastating, but not surprising; it follows a long promised Republican pledge to outlaw abortion, both at the federal and state level.
Thanks to the hard work of New Hampshire Democrats, despite this ruling, abortion remains safe and legal in New Hampshire before 24-weeks. But the future of abortion access depends on each election and who holds power in Concord.
Just last year, New Hampshire Republicans pushed through the first abortion ban in modern state history. This year they refused to pass state level protections for abortion access and they even tried to pass a Texas-style 6-week abortion ban. Make no mistake, if Republicans are able to hold on to their legislative majority, they will further restrict abortion rights.
Granite Staters are clear – they overwhelmingly believe abortion should be safe, legal, and accessible. New Hampshire Democrats proudly stand with these voters and are committed to doing everything we can to protect and expand access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. That starts by holding Republicans accountable at the polls and taking back the State House in November.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig
I am deeply saddened and angered by today’s Supreme Court decision. This is a dark day in our nation’s history, where now, because of the unpopular opinion of 6 unelected individuals, more than 36 million Americans will lose their right to choose.
It’s important to remember that abortion up to 24 weeks is still safe and legal here in New Hampshire. Now, it is up to us to do everything we can to expand our rights here, while supporting those living in states who can no longer access the care that they need.
Republican New Hampshire Senate District 20 Candidate Rich Girard
Today, the United States Supreme Court explicitly overturned Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood. Since Roe was decided in 1973, nearly 65 million children have perished in their mothers’ wombs through abortion. That number is just shy of the combined populations of California and Texas! The damage done to the demographic, moral and economic wellbeing of our nation is as incalculable as the loss of all these little lives is unfathomable.
Today’s ruling does not bring an end to abortion in our country or here in New Hampshire. In accordance with the Tenth Amendment in the Bill of Rights, the Court’s decision returns the issue to the states, where legislatures will again decide what, if any restrictions, will be placed on the ability to terminate the life of pre-born children.
It’s important to note that our state has exactly one protection for the pre-born and that is a ban on the life ending procedure after six months. Other than this ‘late term abortion ban,’ our state has no meaningful protection for the pre-born. Abortion clinics are the only medical facilities in NH that have no licensing requirements for their operation and no state oversight. Abortion facilities are not required to report any information whatsoever on the procedures they execute. With the exception of the last three months of pregnancy, abortion in New Hampshire is on demand, unregulated and unrestricted, making NH’s pre-born children among the most vulnerable in the nation. This must change.
Now that the Court has re-empowered the states to address abortion, I expect the debate in our state will become even more intense. Sadly, I expect it will also become more shrill, polarizing and extreme. As someone who believes that every life is sacred, has the Right to Life and deserves to see the light of day, I will stand for life and fight to protect the pre-born.
I will also work hard to provide women who find themselves with an unexpected or crisis pregnancy with more options. They need our help. Our current system promotes the lie that abortion is the only solution. It’s not. We need to stand strongly behind pregnancy care centers that offer positive resources and support for these vulnerable women. And, with thousands of couples looking to adopt children in our state, we also need to promote and better facilitate adoption.
Life in a mother’s womb is the most vulnerable and innocent life there is. It is our duty to protect it.
Also in need of protection are pregnancy centers and churches, especially Catholic ones with active Pro-Life ministries. Since the Dobbs draft was leaked, nearly three dozen churches and pregnancy centers have been attacked, including many that were firebombed. The children of Justice Amy Coney Barrett were suggested as targets and a California man armed with a knife and gun was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home just prior to an assassination attempt. Abortion extremist groups like Jane’s Revenge and Ruth Sent Us have not only taken responsibility for many of these attacks, they’ve promised more, saying If abortions aren’t safe, neither are you. These extremists, among others, have called for a ‘night of rage’ tonight to protest the decision. The general failure of law enforcement to investigate these attacks and hold the perpetrators accountable is matched by the failure of radical abortion on demand politicians, to condemn the attacks and urge protesters not to be violent. Their silence has been deafening. This is unacceptable and pro-abortion politicians need to tone down their rhetoric and demand protesters be peaceful.
We need to debate the issue, not further debase our politics.
New Hampshire House Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R-Auburn)
Last year, we passed legislation that put limits on the most extreme and unnecessary late-term abortions. A majority of Granite Staters and Americans oppose the idea of allowing abortion up until the very moment of birth and our laws now affirm that sentiment.
This year, the House passed additional legislation that upheld our basic values regarding this issue on a unanimous bipartisan vote.
While today’s ruling returning complete authority over abortion back to the states where it belongs is a great triumph for federalism, it does nothing to change the accessibility of these services in New Hampshire.
