LOCAL COLUMN
OPINION: Remembering Roe v. Wade — a day we cannot forget
On June 24, 2022, time stood still for many Americans. The U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and ending the constitutional right to abortion in this country after 49 years.
Four years later, women are still paying the price. Extreme attacks on abortion continue to violate Americans’ basic right to privacy and bodily autonomy, stripping away important personal decisions and leaving women and families with fewer options and nowhere to turn — including in instances of rape, incest and life-or-death healthcare complications.
I believe every woman deserves the freedom to make her own healthcare decisions in consultation with her doctor and guided by her own faith and values — not the government’s. No one should fear seeking care from a doctor or first responder in a time of need.
This is not only an attack on women — it’s also a reminder that the government can take away anyone's fundamental freedoms when power is placed in the wrong hands.
And while four years have passed, this fight is far from over. MAGA extremists have continued their assault on women’s reproductive rights through the courts and Congress, including blocking mailed mifepristone back in May and taking extreme steps to ban telehealth abortion care and put the government in control of women’s healthcare experiences.
As a proud representative from New Mexico, I remain committed to protecting reproductive freedom. I will continue my support for the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would restore a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions and ensure healthcare providers can continue offering safe, effective healthcare options.
No woman should fear pregnancy because of her government and the laws that govern her. We have seen women suffer severe medical complications not because they sought an abortion, but because they were denied timely lifesaving care due to providers' fear of criminal prosecution.
Restrictions on abortion create chaos and uncertainty. Women deserve the right to receive abortion care, access contraceptives and obtain emergency reproductive healthcare when in a time of need.
This fight is not over, and I will stand with New Mexicans across both sides of the aisle to hold extreme MAGA Republicans accountable. Issues like these cannot be forgotten or swept under the rug — they are a challenge to our fundamental rights and require attention, no matter how divided.
I call on New Mexicans to stand with me and to not forget the meaning of June 24, the women and families who have been impacted, and the future of reproductive rights across our great nation.
Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., represents New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.