NORFOLK, Va. — Hours after the Supreme Court announced its decision to end constitutional protections for abortion, the U.S. House candidates in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District are weighing in.
The high court's opinion, released Friday, states that Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, were incorrectly decided and must be overturned. It comes just days after the Republican primary election in the 2nd District.
The candidates — Republican State Sen. Jen Kiggans and Democratic U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria — responded to the ruling with statements demonstrating how far apart they are on the issue of abortion.
Kiggans supports Supreme Court decision, Luria opposes
Kiggans applauded the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it gives Virginians and elected state officials more of a say on the issue.
"As a mother and nurse practitioner, I believe all life is precious and must be protected," Kiggans said in a statement. "As a State Senator, I have fought hard for legislation that gives mothers and families the support they need so they can always choose life."
She added: "This is our chance to take a stand against the extremist Democrat policies that call for abortions up until the moment of birth, keeping babies who survive abortion 'comfortable’ without lifesaving measures, and mandating taxpayer-funded abortions."
Luria, however, described the ruling as "a rollback of the rights of women in the United States."
"A woman’s right to choose should be made between a woman, her health care provider, and her faith," Luria said in a statement. "For the first time in our nation’s history, today’s women have less freedoms than previous generations."
Luria said abortion rights protections need to be enshrined into federal law, saying it would protect Americans from government overreach and restore the rights of women across the country.
Luria also criticized Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's call to change the state's abortion laws, which happened soon after the ruling was announced.
"And there it is. Republicans in Virginia have a plan to remove existing protections for women to make decisions about their body," Luria said in a quote tweet of Youngkin's statement.