Young People Undaunted by SCOTUS Confirmation
(Washington, DC) — Statement by Kimberly Inez McGuire, Executive Director of URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity in response to Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court of the U.S.
“Today, after ignoring the will of the American people and dismissing our determined pleas for COVID relief, the Senate succeeded in strongarming the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the U.S.
“But even as anti-abortion activists and extremist politicians celebrate their ill-gotten gain, they should know that their victory will be short-lived. Because judicial power, like every branch of government, needs checks and balances. We, the people, are that check and balance.
“They should know that, even as we condemn the confirmation of a Supreme Court justice who will serve their insidious ends, we are comforted by the knowledge that the tides of power are turning.
“Young people are a rising wave. In this country, there are more than 83 million people between the ages of 18 and 35. Of these, 44 percent are people of color and 20 percent identify as LGBTQIA+. Our numbers are growing by the day, as is our political power. We will use every bit of that power to build a real democracy that serves the needs of all rather than the tyrannical desires of the extreme right.
“Roe v. Wade was never enough — and if it’s overturned, we’ll keep demanding more and better until we have the abortion access we deserve.
“We will vote in every local, state, and national election and forge ahead with progressive policies that ensure Reproductive Justice for everyone. We will work to enshrine abortion access as a right in our state constitutions and strike down age restrictions and forced parental involvement in all reproductive health care decisions.
“We will push states to expand federally funded Medicaid coverage to low-wage earners of all ages. We will support the Women’s Health Protection (WHPA) and Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Acts and finally repeal the cruel and racist Hyde Amendment.
“No matter which direction SCOTUS leans, we will fight to keep power where it belongs: In the hands of the people. We will do what it takes to reshape the systems that have never served us until all young people — and all people — can thrive.”
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About URGE:
URGE envisions a liberated world where we can live with justice, love freely, express our gender and sexuality, and define and create families of our choosing. To achieve our vision of liberation, URGE builds power and sustains a young people’s movement for reproductive justice by centering the leadership of young people of color who are women, queer, trans, nonbinary, and people of low-income. As a state-driven national organization, URGE organizes our communities, provides a political home for young people, advocates for meaningful policy change, and shifts culture, working in states where the challenges and opportunities are greatest.
