Dear neighbor, 

The Supreme Court is on a rampage against our basic freedoms. I have been busy this week fighting back against the far-right Supreme Court’s actions, which undermine our fundamental rights and place our democracy in jeopardy. The Court’s recent opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, which had recognized the right to an abortion for nearly 50 years, will have devastating effects on millions of people across the country who will no longer be able to get the abortion care they need. Let’s be clear — overturning Roe has not ended abortion, it has only ended safe, legal abortions, and criminalized those seeking or providing critical health care services. This isn’t — and shouldn’t be — America.

Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion in the Dobbs decision also made clear that this Court will not stop at reproductive freedom. Other fundamental rights, like marriage equality and contraception, are on the chopping block, and Congress must use its power to protect these freedoms through legislation.

That’s why I helped introduce and pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require all states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and repeal the discriminatory, so-called Defense of Marriage Act. I’m urging my colleagues in the Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act as quickly as possible to protect the right of every LGBTQ+ person to love unconditionally. 

But protecting our individual freedoms is not enough — we must do more. I have repeatedly advocated for Congress to protect rights like abortion and marriage equality through expanding the Supreme Court to restore balance and integrity to what has become a rogue, unaccountable institution. 

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling on a 100-year-old gun safety law in our own state of New York also highlights its hypocrisy and willingness to overturn decades of settled law for political purposes. This decision not only puts our own communities at risk by making it easier for individuals to carry handguns in public spaces, but also jeopardizes gun safety laws currently on the books in other states. 

Mass shootings, in particular, are a uniquely American problem — and Congress has the tools at its disposal to stop them. Recent mass shootings — in Sacramento, Buffalo, Uvalde, Tulsa, and Highland Park — have one thing in common: the use of an assault weapon, specifically an AR-15 assault rifle. That’s why I joined my Democratic colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee in moving forward the first assault weapons ban legislation in 30 years. The Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 will outlaw the sale, manufacture, or transfer of assault weapons — weapons designed not for protection or for sport, but for slaughter. As Republicans in Congress attempt to block common sense gun safety laws at every turn, and the Supreme Court strikes down existing laws, my Democratic colleagues and I are fighting to ban weapons of war, pass universal background checks, and keep our communities safe. This bill will save lives and I won’t stop fighting until it is enacted into law and we end gun violence in America.

As always, my office is here to serve you. If you need assistance with a federal agency or in response to COVID-19, you can always call my office at (914) 323-5550.

Sincerely,

Mondaire Jones 

Member of Congress

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