Yesterday marked the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. At a time when most state laws were against abortion, the 1973 court decision held that a woman’s right to abortion was protected by the right to privacy under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.  

Here is what some of our current leaders had to say about the anniversary and the landmark decision:

President Obama: Roe v. Wade “not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters… we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work; and to have no limits on their dreams. That is what I want for women everywhere.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “…we reaffirm our commitment to protecting a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health care decisions. We do so just two days after swearing in a new President who is committed to the fundamental right to privacy.  I will work with President Obama, as I have worked throughout my entire career, to ensure a woman’s right to choose. That is because decisions about whether to have a child do not and should not rest with the government. We believe a woman —  in consultation with her family, her physician, and her faith — is best qualified to make that decision. I will continue to work to preserve the right to privacy while promoting a comprehensive approach to reproductive health care, including planning for healthy families, reducing the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies, and providing full and medically-accurate sexuality education.”

Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, plans to introduce the “Juno Bill,” referencing the 2008 hit movie involving a high school teenager that gives her baby up for adoption. “It will provide a tax credit to those women, just as we allow abortions to be tax deductible, it will provide a tax credit so that they can carry out their pregnancy, give that baby to a loving arm and not have to worry about the consequences or the costs involved.”