Roe v. Wade was a class action lawsuit in 1973 between lead plaintiff "Jane Roe", years later identified as Norma N. McCorvey, and the Dallas County district attorney Henry Wade, defendant in the lawsuit. Wade represented the state of Texas. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case said laws against abortion in The United States violated a constitutional right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment.BBC: Roe v. Wade...(December 10, 2004)

Pro-life and Pro-choice supporters gather yearly in Washington, D.C. and around the United Staes to support their positions on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, January 22.

President Barack Obama supports Roe v. Wade.Obama's Presidential Campaign 2008: Obama Statement on 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade Decision After taking office, Obama overturned the "Mexico City policy." The policy was set in place by George W. Bush as one of his first executive orders as president. The policy, referred to by critics as the "global gag rule," prohibited the United States from funding international family planning organizations that provided information or assistance to helping woman obtain abortion services.CNN: Sources: Obama May Quickly Reverse Abortion Policy (January 19, 2008)

According to a CNN/Opinion Research survey from October 2007, 36 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal in most or all circumstances, 40 percent that it should be legal in a few circumstances, and 22 percent that it should not be legal in any circumstances.CNN: 35 years after Roe: A legacy of law and morality (January 21, 2008)