Biden vows action to protect abortion rights as John Roberts confirms leaked opinion
Supreme Court ‘poised to inflict greatest restriction of rights in the past 50 years’, say leading Dems
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Leading Democrats have condemned the reported decision of the US Supreme Court to overturn the Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion nationwide nearly 50 years ago. Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed that the leaked draft was authentic, as President Joe Biden vowed to fight the court’s imminent decision.
Congressional Democratic leadership said the Republican-appointed justices who reportedly endorsed Justioce Samuel Alito’s opinion were “poised to inflict the greatest restriction of rights in the past 50 years,” as abortion rights
The decision indicates that the Supreme Court’s conservative majority will uphold a Mississippi law criminalising abortion care at 15 weeks of pregnancy, in the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organisation, and overrule precedents established in Roe and affirmed by the 1993 decision in Casey v Planned Parenthood.
Republican officials have meanwhile celebrated the likely demise of Roe while condemning the “leak” from the nation’s high court.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Republicans trying to distract with leak complaints
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that Republicans are intentionally trying to distract from the implications of overturning Roe v. Wade by focusing on the leak of a Supreme Court draft decision.
“Republicans are spending all their focus on the leak because they don’t want to focus on Roe v. Wade, where they know they’re on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of the American people. Try as they might, they can’t distract from the truth,” he said on Tuesday.
Politico staff told to take security precautions, remove identifying information from social media
Staff at Politico – which published the bombshell story documenting the leaked Supreme Court draft decision indicating its intention to overturn Roe v. Wade – have reportedly been told to take precautions when entering elevators to ensure that anyone entering the building with them are employed at the company.
They have also reportedly been told to remove identifying information from their social media accounts that could link them to the company.
Joe Biden says Democrats will be ‘ready’ if abortion law overturned
Joe Biden issued a statement on Twitter on Tuesday regarding the Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Mr Biden said that Democrats will be “ready when any ruling is issued.”
Critics have called on Mr Biden to take a more proactive stance to try to ensure that Roe is not overturned.
Senator Krysten Sinema says she supports women’s reproductive rights, but doubles down on filibuster support
Democratic Senator Krysten Sinema issued a statement Tuesday saying she support women’s right to choose to have an abortion, but noted in her statement that she would not consider ending the filibuster, which currently prevents Democrats from codifying Roe v. Wade into law and stopping the Supreme Court from overturning the ruling.
The “protections in the Senate” she references in her statement is a reference to the filibuster. Joe Biden said he would consider once again trying to eliminate the filibuster in an attempt to codify Roe v. Wade into law.
What Trump’s Supreme Court appointments said about Roe vs Wade at their hearings
Former President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominees all agreed during their confirmation hearings that Roe v. Wade was settled precedent and should not be overturned.
Many changed their tunes after they were confirmed as justices.
Graig Graziosi has more about their shifting attitudes in the story below;
What Trump’s Supreme Court appointments said about Roe vs Wade at their hearings
Trump’s nominees all agreed that Roe v. Wade was settled precedent during their confirmations
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dodges question about potential national Republican abortion law if Roe v. Wade is overturned
Congressional journalist Jamie Dupree reports that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dodged a question about whether or not Republicans will seek to establish a national law banning abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
At present, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion rights will fall to individual states to determine. Without the protection of the law, however, Republicans could seek to outlaw abortions nationwide.
Fox host mocked for saying Democrats will hold an ‘insurrection’ over moves to overturn Roe v Wade
Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren claimed Tuesday that the leaked Supreme Court draft decision indicating its intention to overturn Roe v. Wade was an “intimidation tactic” meant to drive Democrats to the poll.
It is currently unclear who leaked the document and what their politicial ideology may be.
Ms Larhen faced mockery online after claiming Democrats would hold an “insurrection” over the ruling, particularly because she represents a political ideology which has attempted an insurrection.
Gino Spocchia has more in the story below:
Senator Raphael Warnock says he is a ‘pro-choice pastor’ who will fight for abortion rights
Senator Raphael Warnock, who is also a clergyman, said he was a “pro-life pastor” and that he would continue to fight for women’s abortion rights in the face of a leaked Supreme Court draft decision aiming to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Warnings that illegal abortions will kill pregnant women if Supreme Court votes down Roe v Wade
Experts have warned that overturning Roe v. Wade would not prevent abortions, but would make them illegal and unsafe, putting pregnant women at risk of both legal consequences and increasing the risk that they will die from the procedures.
Gillian Frank, a historian of religion and sexuality who co-hosts the podcast Sexing History, cautioned against the thinking that banning abortion would actually stop the practice.
“American women have always sought abortions,” the historian said. “What has only changed is the context and the safety and the affordability and the availability but abortion seeking itself has been an ongoing fact of American reproductive life since the founding.”
Johanna Chisholm has more in the story below:
Warnings that ending Roe will cause increase in unsafe abortions
The World Health Organization estimates that around the world, 23,000 women die each year from unsafe abortions
‘Scares the daylights out of me’: Man behind gay marriage law fears it will be overturned after Roe v Wade
Jim Obergefell, who fought to legalise gay marriage in 2013, released a statement on Tuesday warning basic human rights are now “under siege” in the wake of the leak of a Supreme Court draft decision that would see Roe v. Wade overturned.
He fears that Republicans will focus on overturning laws legalising gay marriage next.
Read more of his perspective in Rachel Sharp’s report below:
![](https://static.independent.co.uk/2020/10/22/21/Gay.jpeg?quality=75&width=1200&auto=webp)
Man behind gay marriage law fears it will be overturned after Roe v Wade
Fears are growing that the landmark US Supreme Court case legalising same-sex marriage could be overturned next, following the bombshell revelation that the nation’s highest court will strike down Roe v Wade
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