What happens now? South Shore residents question Sen. Warren about abortion access

RANDOLPH –  The audience applauded when Lou Russo, of Hanson, asked U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren a question regarding the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, erasing reproductive rights that have been in place for nearly five decades.

"I'd like to know where the accountability is for the men who created that child," Russo said.

"You know, some of them are busy making laws," Warren said in response.

South Shore residents asked questions of Warren at a Randolph meet and greet Monday, days after the Supreme Court handed down its decision. Questions and concerns surrounding the overturning of Roe v. Wade, gun control legislation and other issues took the floor.

Warren said overturning Roe v. Wade takes decision-making out of the hands of pregnant women and hands it to the government. Attendees asked how the Supreme Court could overturn such a longstanding decision, and highlighted the hypocrisy of the move by justices who had hailed it as the "law of the land" when angling for confirmation in the Senate.

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"Given that both Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch were before the Senate when they were in the nomination process and testified that Roe versus Wade was settled law, they therefore did not tell the truth. Could they have lied under oath and be subject to impeachment?" asked Sandi Cohen, of Randolph, who is on the Randolph Democratic Committee.

Warren dodged the question by telling attendees to "take a look at the videos" of justices during their confirmation process.

What happens now?

Warren said there are two problems to tackle in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision: helping pregnant women who need intervention now and voting out those who support overturning Roe v. Wade this November.

She encouraged attendees to support Planned Parenthood, advocate to keep Massachusetts open to abortion seekers from out of state and pressure President Joe Biden  to move quickly on the issue.

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"Do you think it's possible and feasible to use federal land to provide reproductive rights for women who live in red states?" Cohen asked.

"Yes, I do," Warren responded, explaining that laws passed by individual states – like abortion bans – don't apply in the same way on federal land. "I want to see the federal government explore every opportunity to protect access to abortion."

Warren urged those in attendance to focus on the upcoming election, and she said Roe will "be on the ballot."

"These six justices seem to believe that they can impose ... their own moral vision on an unwilling America, and they are wrong," Warren said.

Other questions and concerns  at Monday's event focused on how to communicate with an audience outside Massachusetts when mobilizing.  Some questions concerned  a fight against a regional transfer station in Holbrook.

State Sen. Michael Brady, D-Brockton; state Rep. William Driscoll, D-Milton; Randolph Town Manager Brian Howard; and Randolph Town Councilors Natacha Clerger, Katrina Huff-Larmond and Jesse Gordon attended the event.

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Reach Alyssa Fell at afell@patriotledger.com. 

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore residents question Elizabeth Warren about abortion access