House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had harsh words for the Supreme Court after a late night, 5-4 decision to let the newly-enacted abortion law in Texas stand. The law essentially outlaws all abortions with no exceptions for incest or rape. Wednesday night’s ruling is not the final verdict from the justices on the constitutionality of the law.
Pelosi blasted the high court’s decision to let the law stand, arguing that it represents a “catastrophe” for women in Texas.
“The Supreme Court’s cowardly, dark-of-night decision to uphold a flagrantly unconstitutional assault on women’s rights and health is staggering. That this radically partisan Court chose to do so without a full briefing, oral arguments or providing a full, signed opinion is shameful," she wrote in a statement. “SB8 delivers catastrophe to women in Texas, particularly women of color and women from low-income communities. Every woman, everywhere has the constitutional right to basic health care. SB8 is the most extreme, dangerous abortion ban in half a century, and its purpose is to destroy Roe v. Wade, and even refuses to make exceptions for cases of rape and incest. This ban necessitates codifying Roe v. Wade...When the Supreme Court takes up its reproductive rights case this year, we urge it to uphold, as Justice Sotomayor wrote in her dissent, ‘its constitutional obligations to protect not only the rights of women, but also the sanctity of its precedents and of the rule of law.’”
Pelosi added that the House will vote on the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA) to codify Roe v. Wade.
“Upon our return, the House will bring up Congresswoman Judy Chu’s Women’s Health Protection Act to enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America."
President Biden is also prepping for a "whole of government" approach to respond to the court's decision.
Biden statement: "I am directing that Council and the Office of the White House Counsel to launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision." pic.twitter.com/ebTrX8NLa6
— Jon Ward (@jonward11) September 2, 2021
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