Assistant Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Katherine Clark spoke out Friday morning against the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Although Massachusetts is one of 14 states, plus the District of Columbia, with laws in place protecting the right to an abortion, the procedure will likely be nearly impossible to get in about half of U.S. states, including large swaths of the South, Midwest and Northern Plains.

"Overturning the right to an abortion brings us to the horrifying reality of government-mandated pregnancy – we are now living in a dystopian nightmare," Clark said in a statement. "Forced pregnancy is morally abhorrent, and this decision will set women back decades."

"We have known this day was coming since the leaked Supreme Court draft was released early last month – but we have also predicted this outcome after watching the assault on reproductive rights orchestrated by Republicans for decades," she continued. "This is the culmination of a scorched earth campaign against women's rights, communities of color, and low-income families, and a roadmap of where the GOP is headed next if they gain more power in Congress."

"We are not powerless," Clark concluded. "It is critical that we protect and grow Democratic majorities in Congress and ensure that reproductive rights champions continue to win elected offices at all levels of government to guarantee that all people have control over their bodies and their futures."

The Supreme Court decision, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, was released Friday, more than a month after a draft of the opinion leaked.

The Massachusetts Senate voted in May to adopt an amendment that provides enhanced protections for reproductive and gender-affirming health care in the state, including abortion procedures. The amendment also protects out-of-state residents who travel to Massachusetts for such services.

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Original story HERE.