STATEMENT: Rep. Olver emails constituents "concerned" about Supreme Court abortion ruling

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Mass., sent the
following email to his constuents today:

Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:49:42 -0400
From: Olver Newsletter
To: OLVER-ENEWSLETTER-MA01@LS1.HOUSE.GOV
Subject: Supreme Court Abortion Ruling Today

Partial Birth Abortion Ban Ruling

* * E-UPDATE: APRIL 2007 * *

Today, abortion opponents were handed a victory in their continual push to
overturn a woman's right to choose. In a 5-4 ruling the conservative Roberts
Supreme Court said that the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that was passed
by Congress and signed into public law by President Bush in 2003 does not
violate a woman's right to an abortion.

Seven years ago, a highly similar case, Stenberg v. Carhart, was argued
before a much different Supreme Court. This case weighed the merits of an
almost identical ban passed in Nebraska. In this case, the Supreme Court
ruled the abortion ban unconstitutional chiefly because it failed to provide
protections for women's health. Furthermore, in this earlier decision, the
Court exposed 'partial-birth abortion' bans for what they are: an attempt to
stop a range of safe abortion procedures performed in the second trimester
of pregnancy which includes some performed as early as 12-15 weeks of
pregnancy.

Fast forward to present day and the case is the same, only the make-up of
the Court has changed. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who served a critical
role in protecting women's rights' in the Stenberg v. Carhart case, has
departed the bench and Justices Roberts and Alito have been added by the
Administration.

I am very concerned with the consequences that will come from the decision
that was released today. This law bans certain safe and effective abortions
performed as early as 12-15 weeks and makes NO exception for the health of
the woman or for any case of severe fetal abnormalities.

I am pro-choice. Please be assured that I will continue to support any
legislative avenues that may be available to support a woman's right to
choose, as well as legislation that could reverse the decision that was made
today.

Sincerely,

John W. Olver
Member of Congress