EPPC Scholars Comment on Historic Supreme Court Ruling Overturning Roe v. Wade


June 24, 2022


Scholars at the Ethics and Public Policy Center today commented on the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and restored abortion policy to the democratic processes.

EPPC President Ryan T. Anderson said: “Today’s ruling is the culmination of decades of public advocacy, of unheralded acts of love and mercy, and of unrelenting prayers for justice for the unborn and their mothers. It will be remembered and celebrated as one of the most important days in the history of this country—a day when we began to right the wrongs inflicted by the Court in Roe v. Wade a half-century ago.

“Today is also the beginning of a new chapter in our work of building a more robust culture of life that protects babies, supports mothers, and strengthens families for the long haul. I’m proud of the work of so many at EPPC and across the pro-life movement who helped make this day possible, and I look forward to continuing our work with renewed vigor in the years and decades ahead.”

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EPPC Distinguished Senior Fellow Ed Whelan said: “Today’s decision is a crowning achievement of the conservative legal movement. Justice Alito and the other four members of the majority—Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett— deserve ardent praise for their fidelity to the Constitution and for their courage. The majority opinion is a masterful repudiation of the lawlessness of Roe and Casey and a reaffirmation of the fundamental principles of our Constitution.”

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EPPC Cardinal Francis George Fellow Mary FioRito said: “Far from being divisive, today’s decision actually reflects the consensus of the American people. Since 1973, not one poll has shown that the majority of Americans support abortion for the duration of pregnancy, for any reason—which was the holding in Roe. While Roe has been the law of the land for 50 years, it has never truly captured the hearts of the American people, most of whom would restrict abortion to the very early stages of pregnancy. We are now left with the significant task of undoing the harm that Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey have caused to our communities and our children.”

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EPPC Kate O’Beirne Fellow Mary Rice Hasson said: “Dobbs rejects the false claim that women’s equality hinges on access to abortion and opens the door to better conversations about how to support all pregnant women and babies. 

“I’m grateful to all those who have worked for years for this moment, not only the attorneys and advocates, but also the pregnancy resource centers, volunteers, and sidewalk counselors, who not only prayed for an end to Roe but also faithfully served women and their babies. 

“Much work lies ahead, but this is an historic moment and I’m profoundly grateful.”

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EPPC Visiting Fellow Alexandra DeSanctis said: “Today we should celebrate, say a prayer of thanksgiving, and above all pray for peace and healing in our country. The end of Roe is a major victory, but it must be the first step toward a truly pro-life future in which every child is welcomed into the world and families are supported in choosing life. In particular, we should remember with gratitude the countless pro-lifers who’ve been working toward this day for decades, so many of whom received little praise or glory for their work. This victory is because of them.”

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EPPC Fellow Patrick T. Brown said: “Today is an incredible day for the cause of life and the protection of the unborn. A half-century of prayer, activism, and changing hearts and minds has built up to this historic decision that will enable states to protect the most vulnerable among us—the defenseless child in the womb.

“Now that Roe has rightfully been consigned to the history books, it is time to begin anew the hard work of building a society in which all women and their children receive the support they need. A pro-family policy agenda, and a pro-life culture, must begin by recognizing the responsibility to support expectant and new moms and their children, through the tax code, safety net programs, and the heroic work of pregnancy resource centers and other groups that provide aid to moms facing unexpected pregnancies. Today’s decision will hopefully mark a new American commitment to strengthen the family and cherish every human life in law, culture, and public policy.”

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EPPC Postdoctoral Fellow Nathanael Blake said: “Today’s Supreme Court ruling corrects one of the greatest legal and moral errors in our nation’s history. Abortion’s violence rends the primal social bonds of mother, father and child, and Roe’s spurious finding of a constitutional right to abortion has poisoned our politics, courts and culture. Leaving a womb-shaped hole in the right to life precludes solidarity, for abortion hardens the hearts it doesn’t stop. States are now free to protect human life from its start, and therefore to promote and preserve human flourishing free from the deadly violence and corruption of abortion.”

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Learn more about EPPC’s Life and Family Initiative here.


Listen to EPPC’s Life After Dobbs podcast, which examines the history and future of the pro-life cause, here.


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