What did new justices say about abortion in confirmations?
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(NewsNation) — Some lawmakers feel their confidence is rocked in certain Supreme Court justices following the Roe v. Wade leaked draft opinion. But NewsNation host Dan Abrams is wondering why anyone is surprised.
Since the leaked opinion, Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have indicated they may have been misled by what Amy Coney Barrett, Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh said about Roe v. Wade during their confirmation hearings. So, what did they say during the hearings? Abrams selected the following key passages on Roe v. Wade.
Amy Coney Barrett:
”Roe held that the Constitution protects a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy … Casey reaffirmed that holding and indeed many cases after Casey have affirmed that holding.”
Brett Kavanaugh:
“As a judge, it is an important precedent of the Supreme Court. By ‘it,’ I mean Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.”
Neil Gorsuch:
“Roe v. Wade decided in 1973 is a precedent in the United States Supreme Court. It has been reaffirmed. The reliance interests considerations are important there and all of the other factors that go into analyzing precedent have to be considered. It is a precedent of the United States Supreme Court.”
Abrams says it’s important to note where each justice sat on the issue of abortion before they were appointed to the nation’s highest court.
He says Barrett co-authored a 1998 law review article that said abortion is always immoral and signed onto two Right to Life advertisements against the Roe decision while she was on faculty at Notre Dame Law School. As an appeals court judge, Gorsuch allowed then-Gov. Gary Herbert to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood in that state.
“If they cared so much about this issue then, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, should have done more homework,” Abrams concluded.
Abrams says the 98-page draft opinion doesn’t necessarily mean Roe v. Wade will be overturned. He says internal documents are often circulated within the court and compromises are sometimes made. While the opinion is an important decision, he expects any action on the matter to take a few months.
