The ruling to strike down the existing Roe v. Wade protections by the Supreme Court has been met with many oppositions. None greater, however, than the women in power in the United States. Since the overturning, Washington State specifically has made bold moves in order to counter the ruling such as legislation, executive action, and even going as far as to lead a national women’s strike.

At the Democratic Party campaign headquarters in Seattle, Rep. Pramila Jayapal led the conversation in discussing past uses of legal abortions and just how negative the overturning of Roe v. Wade actually was.

“This is a dark, dark time in our country. An extremist, Republican-controlled Supreme Court has gutted Roe v. Wade, doing something truly unprecedented, which is taking away a constitutional right that has been the law of the land for over half a century.”

Pramila Jayapal said.

She then pointed out possibilities of measures that can be implemented by the House Democrats in order to codify and expand access to abortions. However, the Senate has and will continue to block such proposals due to the filibuster being in place. Obviously, Jayapal continued by calling for the end of the filibuster.

House Democrats will then be able to advance additional legislation that will protect women and grant them the legal use of abortions. Pramila Jayapal also called for Judiciary Committee hearings into the conduct of Supreme Court justices who turned hypocrites (when being confirmed, the justices stated Roe v. Wade represented an important legal precedent, but then eventually voted to overturn it).

After all of the political moves that can be made, a wild, yet possible, national strike by women was suggested. Pramila Jayapal cited a 1975 Iceland strike in which 90% of women participated to shut down the country.

Many other individuals had common reactions to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court justices. Dr. Jennifer Chin described it as being punched in the stomach.

“Pregnant people will die as a result of this decision. Not only will this affect patients seeking to end their pregnancy, but this will also have devastating ripple effects. They will hemorrhage. They will experience a severe infection. They will go into organ failure. They will die and leave their families behind all because the Supreme Court has abandoned reproductive justice and told women and everyone with a uterus that they do not matter.”

Dr. Jennifer Chin, an obstetrician-gynecologist at University of Washington Medicine, said.

Toshiko Hasegawa, the Port of Seattle Commissioner, also added her two cents

“If not for the right to choose, there would be no Commissioner Hasegawa, nor would I be the mother that I am today. in a time of blatant misogyny, transphobia, and homophobia, living authentically and speaking out loud is an act of resistance.”

Toshiko Hasegawa said.

One of the common pleads by Democrats throughout the nation is that the Democrats need even greater legislative majorities than those already in place. This is obviously a plead to perform well and bond together to succeed during the midterms. New measures, such as a constitutional amendment on abortion, would require two-thirds majorities in the state House and Senate.