Pro-Life Democrats Pen Amicus Brief To the Supreme Court Arguing to Overturn Roe V. Wade
Washington D.C. -- Democrats For Life of America (DFLA) filed an amicus curiae brief today to support the State of Mississippi's challenge to the United States Court of Appeals Fifth Circuits stay on the Gestational Age Act.
The legal brief was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. DFLA argued that the Court’s fetal viability standard in both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey has prevented necessary debate for the various ways states, and society in general, can and should create policies and laws to support mothers and children.
“The Mississippi law should be upheld to put legislating on the protection of human life back in the hands of the branch of government that is charged with writing laws,” said Kristen Day, executive director, Democrats For Life of America. Day continued, “Our brief represents the views of millions of Americans who want to see more focus on providing real choice to women instead of a continued fight to pay for abortions, limit health and safety regulations, and make abortion less safe and more common.”
DFLA’s arguments focused on the confusion caused by the fetal viability standards set forth in Roe and Casey causing less focus and debate on ways to provide more support to women and children. The 1973 Roe decision ended critical debate on how the US should legislate on the issue of abortion and has evolved into a political game at the expense of pregnant women who are caught in the middle.
"This brief has given DFLA the opportunity to make strong legal arguments from a Democratic perspective not only supporting the sanctity of fetal life, but also simultaneously arguing for the core functions of government regulation, and stressing the need for bipartisan consensus," said Christian Matozzo, Pennsylvania State Chapter Coordinator for Democrats for Life, and 3L Student at Temple University's Beasley School of Law, who assisted with the drafting and editing of the amicus brief. Matozzo further stated that "Anyone can file a brief stating they disagree with a decision that the Supreme Court has made. But in a polarized political environment, it is vital to argue from a vantage point that can change the minds and hearts of those who are not inclined to initially agree. At Democrats for Life, that is what we are all about."
“Our Amici Curiae SCOTUS brief on behalf of DFLA and five state legislators in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was both historic and a team effort,” said DFLA Legislative Committee Chair Anthony Gordon. "Working within a very short time frame, DFLA was able to mobilize several of our members, and we were able to put together a quality product to make some very important arguments to the court on behalf of DFLA and the legislators, all in the effort to support the life of the unborn. It was definitely a product that DFLA can be both proud of, and for establishing a foundation that we can use to file similar Amici Curiae briefs in future cases on behalf of DFLA.”
Five Pro-Life Democratic legislators signed onto the Amicus Brief:
Rep. Anthony Allison New Mexico House of Representatives
Rep. Angie Hatton Kentucky House of Representatives
Sen. Tim Mathern North Dakota Senate
Rep. Alan Silva Massachusetts House of Representatives
Rep. Grace Diaz Rhode Island House of Representatives
The brief can be found below.
Democrats for Life of America’s mission is to defend Universal Human Rights within the Democratic Party and to elect Whole Life Democrats. DFLA seeks to end the influence of systems of pervasive injustice, particularly the mass lethal injustice of abortion, to build a life-affirming culture within the Democratic Party, in communities, and in the United States.
