The recent leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion which showed that the nation’s highest court appears poised to strike down the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade guaranteed a women’s right to abortion, has launched protests and outrage across an already deeply divided country.
Chief Justice John Roberts has since confirmed the authenticity of the report, first published by POLITICO, adding that it did “not represent a decision by the Court of the final position of any member on the issues in the case.”
Still, Democrats have widely condemned the leaked opinion; celebration has been mixed among Republicans, with some lauding the not-yet-final decision and others – like moderate Sen. Susan Collins – saying it was “completely inconsistent” with what several justices told her in the leadup to their confirmation votes.
States have also begun to take action, with a decided split between blue and red: At least 13 GOP states have so-called “trigger laws,” preemptive rulings designed to restrict abortion in varying degrees if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down the federal precedent that granted the right to seek an abortion. Even more states are likely to create legislation to ban or severely restrict abortions after the final Supreme Court decision holds true to the draft, per the Guttmacher Institute.
Other states are taking the opposite approach. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have protected access to abortion in state law, and several states moved to expand or strengthen those protections this year.
States like Washington and Connecticut, for example, have protected abortion providers in their states from lawsuits.
Businesses are joining in on the divisive political issue as well, with some offering additional support to employees in states where abortion is likely to be severely limited or banned altogether should the Supreme Court strike down Roe.
Amazon
Amazon on Monday announced in an email to its staff that it would reimburse individuals up to $4,000 for travel expenses incurred for non life-saving medical procedures, which the company says includes abortions, according to a report first published by Reuters.
The new policy does not only cover abortions, but also includes reimbursement for procedures relating to gene therapies, cardiology and substance abuse treatments, Reuters said. The policy applies only for Amazon employees and covered dependents under the Premera or Aetna health plans, and can be used retroactively effective Jan. 1, 2022. An individual can request reimbursement for travel if care was not available within a 100 mile radius or online.
Bumble
Last September, dating and friendship-seeking app Bumble announced it had “created a relief fund supporting the reproductive rights of women and people across the gender spectrum who seek abortions in Texas.”
The move came in reaction to Texas’ restrictive Heartbeat Law, which prohibits abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected – typically around six weeks of gestation.
Bumble, a female-founded business headquartered in Austin, doubled down on that move on Tuesday, writing in a statement that it believes in “equitable access and the protection of women in every stage of their reproductive journey.”
“And we will continue to fight for the rights and protections of women all over the world,” the company statement continued. “The health and safety of our team is our utmost priority and that includes covering access to abortion care. We will continue to partner with organizations that work to provide reproductive access to all.”
Citigroup
Citigroup’s decision to cover related expenses for employees who travel outside of the state to get an abortion came not in reaction to the leaked Supreme Court draft, but was in fact enacted in response to Texas’ restrictive Heartbeat Act passed last year, which prohibits abortions when a fetal heartbeat can be detected – typically around six weeks of gestation.
The company now pays for airfare, lodging and other expenses for employees forced to go out of their home state to seek an abortion, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
In a public filing issued this March, Citigroup said the new policy came “in response to changes in reproductive healthcare laws in certain states in the U.S.,” though it did not specifically mention abortion.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co., the clothing retailer well-known for its denim jeans, confirmed to Spectrum News on Wednesday that it reimburses individuals for “healthcare-related travel expenses for services not available in their home state,” which includes abortion. Hourly employees, who may not be covered by a company health plan, are also able to seek reimbursement for similar circumstances.
While the policy is not new, the company released a statement on Tuesday doubling down on its support for reproductive health services, saying protecting women’s right to abortion is “a critical business issue.”
“Efforts to further restrict or criminalize that access would have far-reaching consequences for the American workforce, the U.S. economy and our nation’s pursuit of gender and racial equity,” the company statement said, later adding: “Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights.”
United Talent Agency
United Talent Agency, which represents some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, on Wednesday announced it would “reimburse our colleagues for travel expenses related to receiving women’s reproductive health services that are not accessible in their state of residence,” according to an internal memo obtained by Deadline.
“We’re doing this to support the right to choose that has been a bedrock of settled law for almost half a century,” UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer reportedly wrote in the internal memo. “Several states have already introduced restrictive legislation, and the draft Supreme Court ruling leaked yesterday, if it comes to pass, could make abortion illegal in more than half of the country.”
The agency will also reportedly “continue to prioritize” charitable donations to organizations that support women’s reproductive health, with more information to be released in the coming weeks.
Yelp
Yelp recently told employees it would expand its medical coverage to include expenses for covered employees and dependents who travel out-of-state for abortion care, a spokesperson confirmed to Spectrum News on Wednesday.
The change came before the leaked SCOTUS document was published, but was intended to provide coverage in the event that abortion protections were stripped away at the federal level in the future. Yelp’s health care already covered abortion-related expenses, and the recent expansion aims to better support employees who live in states like Texas, where abortion access is already severely limited.
“Overturning Roe v. Wade will jeopardize the human rights of millions of women who stand to lose the liberty to make decisions over their own bodies,” the company statement read in part. “Turning back the clock on the progress women have made over the past 50 years will have a seismic impact on our society and economy. This goes against the will of the vast majority of Americans who agree that decisions around reproductive care should be made by women and their doctors.”
Yelp also called on Congress to codify the protections provided in Roe into law, adding: “In the meantime, more companies will need to step up to safeguard their employees, and provide equal access to the health services they need no matter where they live.”
On Tuesday, Yelp co-founder and CEO Jeremy Stoppelman announced the company will double-match all employee donations made to the Center for Reproductive Rights, NARAL Pro Choice America, and Planned Parenthood throughout the month of June.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
