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Dear Democrats and Allies:
It isn't easy to find the words to express our dismay and disgust regarding the overturning of Roe V. Wade yesterday, especially because the state of South Carolina, as it currently is, will be doing very little, if nothing, to protect its women, especially black women, who are 2.4 times more likely to die from complications related to giving birth than white women. South Carolina has the eighth highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, with 25.5 deaths per 100,000 births, making it very difficult to stomach Senator Tim Scott's statement that this decision is "returning the power back to the people." We don't see the support for babies and their mothers that Senator Scott mentions.
What can be done? We CAN elect a Democratic woman to replace Tim Scott in November. Krystle Matthews and Catherine Fleming Bruce are currently in the US Senate Democratic Runoff, and their priorities are education and women's rights, respectively. You can vote for one at your polling place on June 28th IF you voted Democratic in the primary or if you didn't vote in the primary at all.
Visit the candidate websites to inform your choice:
We can also elect Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Joe Cunningham in November, to use his veto power to protect South Carolina's 2.6 million women. I know you want to do more. We want to do more. In the coming months we are going to engage in intensive Get Out the Vote efforts, and we hope you will join us when we call for volunteers to make phone calls, texts, write postcards and visit homes.
Yesterday brought grief to many Americans, grief they were anticipating but were unprepared to process, nonetheless. We must give ourselves permission to grieve until that grief transforms into resolve to do everything in our power to elect Democrats in November. We have to believe that we can elect a US Senator to replace Tim Scott and a Governor to replace Henry McMaster. If we don't believe it is possible, it won't happen.
Below is Tim Scott's statement on the Supreme Court Decision and here is a link to the celebratory face slap of a newsletter many South Carolinians received from him yesterday.
We know it's a lot to read, but it has been a lot to process.
With grief and resolve,
Georgetown County Democratic Party
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
“Today, the Supreme Court took an important step to protect the God-given right to life for millions of Americans by returning the power back to the people and the states, where it belongs,” said Senator Tim Scott. “A nation in which abortion is the ‘first and best’ answer for moms in challenging circumstances is a nation that has sacrificed its moral clarity and courage. America’s fundamental promises include the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our support for babies and their mothers re-establishes those shared values that began to erode over the last several decades. “Furthermore, I commend the Justices for their courage in the face of unprecedented threats and violence. Their commitment to the Constitution and refusal to bend to intimidation gives me hope for the future of our nation.”