| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 11, 2019 |
CONTACT: Mallory Quigley [email protected] 202-223-8073 |
Washington, D.C. – In response to a panel ruling of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blocking Ohio’s Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act, the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) issued the following statement:
“We are disappointed by today’s ruling and look forward to seeing it appealed. Discrimination abortions have no place in any modern, inclusive society,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “Ohio lawmakers acted on the will of the people in creating a safe haven for unborn children with Down syndrome, and two years later they are still fighting to implement the law. In declining to review a similar Indiana law, signed by then-governor Mike Pence, the U.S. Supreme Court left open the question of whether the Constitution allows states to protect unborn children from the eugenic practice of discrimination abortion and made clear they welcomed further consideration by the lower courts. Urgency is growing for the Supreme Court to weigh in on this question so these precious children can be protected from lethal discrimination.”
In an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Commissioner of Indiana Department of Health v. Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, SBA List argued that the viability rule established by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey is arbitrary and does not preclude a state government’s exercise of its interest in prohibiting discrimination against individuals, including those with Down syndrome, and that the Court can uphold prenatal antidiscrimination laws without violating its precedents. The brief also notes, “Research has shown that individuals with Down syndrome are among the happiest people in the world and bring tremendous joy to their families. In some Western nations, however, children diagnosed with Down syndrome are on the verge of being eliminated from society through selective abortion.”
SBA List is a network of more than 837,000 pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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