State Democrats Begin Scouring Their Books For Old, Unenforced Laws Banning Abortion
With Brett Kavanaugh's nomination for the Supreme Court seat, both Republican and Democratic states are readying for what would happen if Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion rights are thrown back to the states. Meanwhile, polling shows continued support from Americans for upholding Roe. The New York Times also fact checks some of the rhetoric being used as the nomination battle heats up.
The Associated Press:
States Brace For Abortion Fights After Kavanaugh Nomination
Anticipating renewed fights over abortion, some governors and state lawmakers already are looking for ways to enhance or dismantle the right in their own constitutions and laws. President Donald Trump's nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court has raised both fears and hopes that a conservative court majority could weaken or overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that created a nationwide right to abortion. That could fan an already raging battle in states over what should and should not be legal. (7/12)
The Hill:
Dem Senator: Kavanaugh Would 'Turn Back The Clock' On Women's Health Care
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.) announced Thursday that she will oppose Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court over concerns that he would undercut the Affordable Care Act and a landmark abortion case. “The President vowed to appoint judges to the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe v. Wade, and I cannot support a nominee for a lifetime appointment who would turn back the clock on a woman’s constitutional right and freedom to make her own health care choices, including access to birth control," Baldwin said in a statement. (Carney, 7/12)
The Hill:
Poll Finds Strong Support For Roe V. Wade
Nearly two-thirds of Americans support Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion, according to a new Gallup poll. Sixty-four percent of Americans stand by Roe v. Wade while 28 percent would like to see it overturned, pollsters found. The poll found a wide partisan split, with 81 percent of Democrats supporting the ruling, compared to 41 percent of Republicans. Thirteen percent of Democrats opposed Roe v. Wade, meanwhile, as did 51 percent of Republicans. (Birnbaum, 7/12)
The New York Times Fact Check:
Democrats Overstate Kavanaugh’s Writings On The Affordable Care Act
Judge Kavanaugh has written two dissenting opinions in the legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act while serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In both cases, he refrained from making broad pronouncements about the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, said Wendy Parmet, a professor of health law at Northeastern University. (Qiu, 7/12)
The Washington Post:
Democrats Say Kavanaugh Could Help End Obamacare, But Court Likely To Deal With Narrower Issues
Senate Democrats and their allies are casting Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh as a grave danger to Americans’ ability to afford health care as a central theme of their high-decibel campaign to block his ascension to the Supreme Court. But after a half-dozen years in which the high court has repeatedly upheld the essence of the Affordable Care Act, Kavanaugh, if confirmed, would be less likely to help decide cases threatening the law’s survival than a mosaic of narrower issues, often arising from the Trump administration’s eagerness to chip away at parts of the law. (Goldstein, 7/12)
Politico:
‘Kiss My You Know What’: Schumer Hamstrung In SCOTUS Fight
Chuck Schumer says he’s going to fight Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court with “everything I’ve got.” To do so, he’ll need to get centrist Democrats to hold the line. The minority leader’s problem? Those Democrats say he can’t tell them what to do. “I’ll be 71 years old in August, you’re going to whip me? Kiss my you know what,” said Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) when asked if Schumer can influence his vote. (Everett and Schor, 7/13)