HYDE-SMITH and INHOFE: Roe’s overturn is long overdue

Submitted by U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and James Inhofe

“The court has now rightfully declared that Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Senator Hyde-Smith and Inhofe write in op-ed.

We join millions of people across the country to celebrate the Supreme Court’s landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade . The court’s decision marks a turning point in history. For almost 50 years, our nation has wrongly operated under the tragic belief that there is a constitutional “right” to end the lives of those who cannot speak for themselves. The court has now rightfully declared that Roe was egregiously wrong from the start, and we can begin to chart a new course on the journey to protect life.

When the Supreme Court delivered its 1973 decision and created an alleged right to abortion, the door was opened wide for the legal deaths of 63 million babies. Every life has immeasurable potential, and these 63 million babies could have gone on to be the best and brightest among us. Instead, their lives were cut short by the horrific practice of abortion .

But more than potential, the unborn have inherent worth. They are human beings created in God’s image, and their lives are sacred. In the years since the 1973 decision, our scientific understanding of these little ones has grown by leaps and bounds. For example, at six weeks, physicians can now detect a baby’s beating heart. A week later, babies begin to develop their toes. After 15 weeks, babies can suck their thumbs and feel pain. And now, with advancements in technology, mothers across America can see their baby’s face in vivid detail before the child is even born through 3D ultrasounds.

While science has unlocked these new discoveries, it has only reinforced what we have always known — these precious babies are alive and need our protection. Families across the country understand this. That is what makes the far Left’s calls for abortion on demand until the moment of birth so extreme and completely out of touch with opinion nationwide. According to recent polling, only 34% of people believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases in the second trimester of pregnancy. That number drops to 19% for the third trimester of pregnancy.

We have consistently supported pro-life legislation in the Senate. This includes bills like the Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act, which would ban abortionists from aborting children on the basis of a Down syndrome diagnosis, and the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would prohibit abortion after a child is 20 weeks old. At 20 weeks, evidence makes clear that abortion inflicts tremendous pain on the baby.

For decades, we have joined countless of our fellow Americans in fighting for the lives of the unborn. But the Supreme Court’s action overturning Roe is not an occasion to take a victory lap. Instead, it is a call to continue to fight for a future where every human life is valued and protected. We will continue to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and work to ensure that our nation’s laws protect the most vulnerable among us.

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Submitted by Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and James Inhofe. Hyde-Smith is Mississippi’s junior U.S. Senator while Inhofe is Oklahoma’s senior U.S. Senator.