Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, joined a group of women protesting the impending death of federal abortion rights outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon (watch above).
“I am here today because I am angry,” Warren shouted. “The United States Supreme Court thinks that they can impose their extremist views on all of the women of this country and they are wrong.”
A visibly shaken and angry Senator Elizabeth Warren just spoke in-front of #SCOTUS. @TheNationalNews pic.twitter.com/KzQ2Z0Lg3b
— Willy Lowry (@willy_lowry) May 3, 2022
Warren’s impromptu remarks – unaided by a microphone – came hours after POLITICO published a draft opinion penned by Justice Samuel Alito indicating that the Supreme Court will soon overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 cases that provides abortion rights to American women.
“I am angry because of who will pay the price of this,” she told the crowd. “It will not be wealthy women. Wealthy women can get on an airplane. They can fly to another state. They can fly to another country. They can get the protection they need. This will fall on the poorest women. This will fall on the young women who have been abused, who are victims of incest. This will fall on those who have been raped. This will fall on mothers who are already struggling to work three jobs to be able to support the children they have.”
Warren continued: “Well, I am here because I am angry and I am here because the United States Congress can change all of this. I am angry, but committed.”
If an extremist Supreme Court overturns Roe, wealthy women will still get safe abortions — by traveling to another state or country. But women of color, those with lower-incomes, and victims of abuse will suffer the most.
Congress must eliminate the filibuster and protect Roe.
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) May 3, 2022
“Understand this. Understand this,” she concluded. “I have seen the world where abortion is illegal and we are not going back. Not ever. So say it with me: We are not going back. Not ever. Not ever. Not ever. Never!”
Writing in The Washington Post, Robin Givhan praised Warren’s authenticity:
Warren’s anger was not unique. But for just a few minutes, it was blessedly invigorating and cathartic. It cast its gaze toward the future. She didn’t paint a rosy picture. She simply reminded aggrieved citizens that the best way to recover from a gut punch is to breathe, get on the offensive and punch back.