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ICYMI: Christine Duerr: Anniversary of Dobbs decision is a sobering reminder of Senate stakes
In Case You Missed It, a Concord Monitor op-ed by Christine Duerr knocked Republican U.S. Senate candidates John Sununu and Scott Brown for their “lengthy and deeply troubling records of working to roll back reproductive freedoms.”
Sununu has previously stated his opposition to abortion and the Roe v. Wade ruling, and Brown has said he would vote to confirm a justice who opposes Roe. Furthermore, both Sununu and Brown have backed Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill that defunded Planned Parenthood.
Read more below:
Concord Monitor: Opinion: Anniversary of Dobbs decision is a sobering reminder of Senate stakes
- June is nearly over, which means school’s out, camps are starting up, and the weather is hard to beat. Amidst the summer fun, late June also marks four years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that ripped away the constitutional right to receive reproductive care and led to the enactment of abortion bans across the country.
- This anniversary is a sobering reminder that elections — especially this fall’s U.S. Senate race — are critical to protecting reproductive rights. When Dobbs came before the court, it was Justice Samuel Alito who wrote the infamous opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade and put abortion access on the chopping block. Readers may remember that before he lost reelection in 2008, 2026 Senate candidate John Sununu voted to confirm Alito to his lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court, enabling him to make that devastating decision.
- Sununu and his primary opponent, fellow former U.S. Senator Scott Brown, have lengthy and deeply troubling records of working to roll back reproductive freedoms. For example, Sununu cast a vote to allow hospitals and providers to refuse to perform or pay for abortions and voted for the first abortion ban following Roe. Meanwhile, Brown co-sponsored an amendment that would allow employers to deny women birth control and also supported legislation that would force women considering an abortion to be shown color photographs of developing fetuses.
- It’s not only how they’ve voted, but also what they’ve said that makes it clear both Republican candidates are focused on thwarting Granite Staters’ reproductive rights. Sununu has flat-out said “I oppose abortion” and said that he “opposes Roe v. Wade,” while Brown previously stated that he would vote to confirm a justice who opposed Roe.
- Furthermore, both candidates are rallying behind Donald Trump, a man who has made tearing down abortion access a cornerstone of his legacy. Brown served in the first Trump administration and said he supports “the things that [Trump’s] doing to make this country better for everybody.” Not to be outdone, Sununu called the Senate race “important to President Trump’s agenda” and recently said he “certainly” appreciates Trump’s endorsement. Both of them have backed Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill that defunded Planned Parenthood, after they each previously voted to cut funding for the nonprofit.
- The Dobbs anniversary makes us reflect on just how much it matters who gets elected to represent us. Having spent over three decades working as a public health nurse, I know the importance of reproductive healthcare being safe, reliable, and accessible. Sununu and Brown have spent their careers committed to undermining those values and jeopardizing women’s health.
- Sending either of those men back to the Senate means tightening the Republican Party’s iron grip on hospitals and healthcare advocates, while loosening the few protections that still exist today. It is imperative that Granite Staters elect a Democrat for Senate this November who will help repair and reinforce — not rip away — our reproductive rights.
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