Roe v. Wade: Nation reacts to the Supreme Court ruling

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg (soon to leave the company), Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson, and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki were among noteworthy tech executives speaking out against Friday's Supreme Court ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade. The anticipated ruling ends the constitutional right to abortion in the U.S., which has stood since 1973.

Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson wrote, "It is a dark day in our nation's history. Stripping away this basic human right disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable women across the country. Both I and Twilio support every woman's right to choose."

Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg wrote, " I cannot believe that I'm going to send my three daughters to college with fewer rights than I had. The Supreme Court's ruling jeopardizes the health and the lives of millions of girls and women across the country."

YouTube CEO Susan Wojicki wrote, "As a CEO I recognize there are a spectrum of opinions on the SCOTUS ruling today. As a woman, it's a devastating setback. I personally believe every woman should have a choice about how and when to become a mother. Reproductive rights are human rights."

—Lora Kolodny

Apple employees can use their company benefits to travel out-of-state to receive medical care, the company confirmed on Friday.

"As we've said before, we support our employees' rights to make their own decisions regarding their reproductive health. For more than a decade, Apple's comprehensive benefits have allowed our employees to travel out-of-state for medical care if it is unavailable in their home state," an Apple spokesperson told CNBC.

Apple joins other corporations including Alphabet, JPMorgan Chase, and Meta which have committed to pay for employees to travel to receive reproductive care if they are in states where it is banned.

— Kif Leswing

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the U.S. Supreme Court decision was "horrific" and he sympathized with women "set to lose their legal right to an abortion."

"The news coming out of the United States is horrific. My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion," Trudeau said on Twitter.

— Reuters

The Vatican's Academy for Life praised the Supreme Court's decision, saying it challenged the world to reflect on life issues, but also called for social changes to help women keep their children.

The Vatican department also said in a statement that the defense of human life could not be confined to individual rights because life is a matter of "broad social significance."

"The fact that a large country with a long democratic tradition has changed its position on this issue also challenges the whole world," the academy said in a statement.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who heads the Pontifical Academy for Life, said the court's decision was a "powerful invitation to reflect" on the issue at a time when Western society "is losing passion for life".

"By choosing life, our responsibility for the future of humanity is at stake," Paglia said.

— Reuters

The U.S. Capitol Police have noticeably increased their presence around the U.S. Capitol building, according to NBC News, which saw officers in riot gear at times appearing when lawmakers moved over to the Supreme Court.

Two layers of "bike-rack" fencing surround the building and tours of the building have been canceled for the day, according to NBC News.

"We have been working closely with our law enforcement partners for in order to prepare for demonstrations related to the Supreme Court," the Capitol Police said in a statement. "Any questions about the Court and its' security posture must go to their Police Department."

— Lauren Feiner

Several U.S. states immediately banned abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.

The high court's decision ended a half century of constitutionally protected abortion rights, which means that states will now be allowed to regulate the procedure. At least 13 states have laws on the books that either ban abortion immediately or will do so soon.

Abortion bans in Louisiana, Missouri, Kentucky and South Dakota went into immediate effect. The laws make performing an abortion a felony punishable by yearslong prison sentences. However, women cannot be prosecuted for receiving an abortion, according to the text of the laws.

— Spencer Kimball

Former President Donald Trump, who nominated three of the justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, took credit for the court's decision on the landmark abortion ruling.

"Today's decision, which is the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, along with other decisions that have been announced recently, were only made possible because I delivered everything as promised, including nominating and getting three highly respected and strong Constitutionalists confirmed to the United States Supreme Court," Trump said in a statement.

Trump's three nominees, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, voted to overturn the decades-old case affirming the constitutional right to an abortion.

—Lauren Feiner

The Department of Justice will "work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in reaction to Friday's ruling.

"The Supreme Court has eliminated an established right that has been an essential component of women's liberty for half a century – a right that has safeguarded women's ability to participate fully and equally in society," Garland said in a statement. "And in renouncing this fundamental right, which it had repeatedly recognized and reaffirmed, the Court has upended the doctrine of stare decisis, a key pillar of the rule of law."

Garland said Justice "strongly disagrees with the Court's decision" which "deals a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States."

He noted that it's impact would disproportionately impact people of color and those with the least financial means.

— Lauren Feiner

JPMorgan Chase, one of the biggest employers in the U.S. financial services industry, told employees it will pay for travel to states that allow legal abortions, according to a memo obtained by CNBC.

The news came as part of an internal communication to employees explaining expanded medical benefits set to begin in July, according to the June 1 memo. In a question and answer web page linked to the memo, the bank directly addressed whether it was covering abortion, as well as out-of-state travel to have the procedure.

"Our health care plans have historically covered travel benefits for certain covered services that would require travel," JPMorgan said. "Beginning in July, we will expand this benefit to include all covered services that can only be obtained far from your home, which would include legal abortion."

— Hugh Son

Yelp co-founder and CEO Jeremy Stoppelman said the ruling "puts women's health in jeopardy" and called on business leaders to speak out.

"This ruling puts women's health in jeopardy, denies them their human rights, and threatens to dismantle the progress we've made toward gender equality in the workplaces since Roe," he said in a statement. "Business leaders must step up to support the health and safety of their employees by speaking out against the wave of abortion bans that will be triggered as a result of this decision, and call on Congress to codify Roe into law."

Yelp in April said it would offer employees and their dependents financial assistance for out-of-state travel in search of abortion care, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

—Sara Salinas

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has issued a proclamation that will implement the state's ban on abortion.

It's unclear how quickly the ban will go into effect. Parson said litigation preventing implementation of the law still needs to be resolved.

Missouri's ban would prohibit doctors from performing abortions unless the patient has a medical emergency. Anyone who performs an abortion would face 5 to 10 years in prison. The law prohibits the prosecution of women who receive abortions.

Missouri only has one abortion clinic located in St. Louis. Many women in Missouri who want to end their pregnancies cross state lines into Kansas, which has four clinics and protects abortion rights under its state constitution.

At least 13 states have laws on the books that would ban abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

-- Spencer Kimball

Alexis McGill Johnson, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, called the Supreme Court's decision "horrific," saying it would be most strongly felt by minority and low-income communities.

"Knowing this moment would come does not make it any less devastating," she said. "The Supreme Court has now officially given politicians permission to control what we do with our bodies, deciding that we can no longer be trusted to determine the course for our own lives."

She added: "To anyone today who is scared, or angry, or determined, know this — 17 million Planned Parenthood supporters proudly stand with you. We will rebuild and reclaim the freedom that is ours. We won't go back. And we won't back down."

— Leslie Josephs

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing in July on the Supreme Court's decision to end abortion rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, the committee chairman, said the high court's decision to end a half century of abortion protections means millions of Americans will have fewer rights than their parents and grandparents.

The hearing will look at the "grim reality of a post-Roe America," according to a statement from the committee posted to Twitter.

-- Spencer Kimball

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed the ruling in a statement, saying he will continue to work with his state's legislature to "save every child from the ravages of abortion and help our expectant mothers in need."

Texas is one of several states that passed a so-called "trigger law" designed to ban abortions upon the overturning of Roe v Wade.

"The U.S. Supreme Court correctly overturned Roe v. Wade and reinstated the right of states to protect innocent, unborn children. Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life. Texas has also prioritized supporting women's healthcare and expectant mothers in need to give them the necessary resources so that they can choose life for their child," Abbott said.

"Texas will always fight for the innocent unborn," he said.

— Sara Salinas

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused Republicans of seeking to "punish and control women" by implementing state abortion bans after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

At least 13 states are poised to implement abortion bans in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision. Those states would make performing an abortion a felony that would carry years-long jail sentences.

"What is happening here?" Pelosi asked in a press conference Friday. "A woman's fundamental health decisions are her own to make in in consultation with her doctor, her faith, her family — not some right-wing politicians that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell packed the court with."

Pelosi condemned the Supreme Court's ruling as cruel, outrageous and heart wrenching. She vowed Democrats will make abortion rights a central issue ahead of the midterm elections in November.

"While Republicans seek to punish and control women, Democrats will keep fighting ferociously to enshrine Roe v. Wade as the law of the land," Pelosi said.

Pelosi accused the GOP plotting to implement a nationwide abortion ban that would not only arrest doctors for offering reproductive care, but also women who want to end their pregnancy.

The legislation in states poised to ban the procedure do not allow women to be prosecuted for receiving an abortion. However, there have already been instances in which women have been reported to authorities.

In April, a women in South Texas charged with murder after allegedly having a self-induced abortion, although state law exempts women from prosecution for having abortions. The district attorney ultimately dismissed the indictment, saying it is clear that she "cannot and should not be prosecuted for the allegation against her."

— Spencer Kimball

The Supreme Court's decision could have a big impact on tech companies that store troves of user data that prosecutors could use to charge women and service providers for violating state bans on abortions.

Prosecutors have already pointed to digital searches and messages in at least two high-profile cases against women accused of harming their babies after they said they had a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Experts in digital privacy and legal advocates defending people who have lost a baby or had an abortion say tech companies can and should take more steps to protect user data in light of the increasing restrictions on abortion access. That could include minimizing the amount of data the platforms collect on users, limiting how long they keep that information or at the very least, informing consumers when they are required to hand over the user's data to law enforcement, assuming the platform isn't barred from doing so.

In the meantime, digital privacy experts say there are steps consumers can take themselves to limit data exposure while researching reproductive healthcare. That includes using privacy-focused search engines, a virtual private network and communicating with friends and family over encrypted messaging apps.

— Lauren Feiner

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade a "historic victory for the Constitution."

"The Justices applied the Constitution. They carefully weighed the complex factors regarding precedent. The Court overturned mistaken rulings that even liberals have long admitted were incoherent, restoring the separation of powers," McConnell wrote in a statement.

The Kentucky senator commended the Supreme Court for what he called its "impartiality in the face of attempted intimidation."

 — Amanda Macias

The ruling provoked an immediate response from Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson, who said the ruling gives politicians the ability to control women's bodies, "deciding that we can no longer be trusted to determine the course for our own lives."

The group, which has long fought to uphold abortion rights, will continue to demand and fight for the right of women to be treated like equal citizens, she said.

— Dawn Kopecki