WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is marking the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion by reaffirming his administration's commitment to protecting a woman's access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom.
In a written statement, Obama says the guiding principle of the court's landmark decision is that all women should be free to make their own choices about their bodies and health. The justices' Jan. 22, 1973 has been challenged ever since.
Obama commented Monday as thousands of anti-abortion demonstrators gathered in Washington's sub-freezing weather for an annual march protesting the decision.
Obama says his administration also resolves to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and build safe, healthy communities for children.
Read the full statement below:
Today, as we reflect on the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, we recommit ourselves to the decision’s guiding principle: that every woman should be able to make her own choices about her body and her health. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to protecting a woman’s access to safe, affordable health care and her constitutional right to privacy, including the right to reproductive freedom. And we resolve to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, support maternal and child health, and continue to build safe and healthy communities for all our children. Because this is a country where everyone deserves the same freedom and opportunities to fulfill their dreams.