The Biden administration is standing firmly by abortion rights after the emergence of a leaked draft majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court that, if made final, would overturn the court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, which established the legally recognized nationwide right to an abortion. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy questioned White House press secretary Jen Psaki about the leaked opinion at a Wednesday press conference, but Doocy focused on the leaking rather than the substance of the document — and Psaki turned his attention back to what’s pressing: reproductive rights.
I am asking every member of the Senate right now, what other judicial outrage must we endure from this illegitimate majority before we act?
— Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) May 3, 2022
“In the past, you have declined to comment on leaked materials. So, why now?” Doocy asked. Prominent Republicans have focused on the issue of the leaking itself instead of the contents of the draft, which Chief Justice John Roberts has confirmed is authentic. Those crediting the leak to a zealous liberal don’t know what they’re talking about — there’s no clear indication who leaked the draft or what beliefs they hold. As Psaki put it in response, “I think, as you would note and was reported, the Supreme Court confirmed this document was accurate, even if it is not the final opinion.” Doocy subsequently remarked that Biden spoke about the issue before Roberts confirmed the document’s authenticity, although Psaki replied that the presidential statement made clear that the veracity of the document wasn’t immediately apparent.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.):
"There is no other recourse. We must abolish the filibuster in order to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, and we must expand the Supreme Court in order to reclaim the stolen seats, and restore balance and the faith of the American people."
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) May 3, 2022
Doocy wasn’t done. “Do you guys think — does the President think the leaker should be punished?” he asked. To that, Psaki responded: “Again, that’s up for the Department of Justice and others to determine. What our focus is on is not getting distracted or our eye off the ball of what is most important to people across the country here, which is not the leak and the story of the leak. It is the fact that women’s healthcare is at risk for millions of people across this country.” If the Supreme Court’s Roe decision is overturned, then handling abortion access would be left up to state leaders — and in dozens of states, Republican officials would no doubt jump at the opportunity to ban abortions. States including Texas already have laws in place that would automatically ban most abortions if the Roe decision is actually overturned. There’s still time for the alignment of the Justices on this issue to shift before the final decision is released. Watch Psaki and Doocy below:
After multiple leak questions from Doocy, Psaki explains they are focused on women’s healthcare being at risk and not the leak pic.twitter.com/3A3SlGn48o
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 4, 2022
Doocy was deceptively glossing over the urgency behind pushes to protect abortion rights. Amid the fallout from the leaked draft, California Democratic leaders have proposed an amendment to the state Constitution that would protect abortion access in California. Other states already have similar measures in place. At the federal level, the Senate will soon be voting on proposed legislation that would make abortion rights a specifically outlined component of federal law — at present, nationwide abortion access hinges on prior judicial decision-making about already established law rather than specific federal provisions. It doesn’t appear as though Democrats will have enough votes on their side to pass the proposal in the Senate.
The Senate should immediately abolish the filibuster and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, codifying Roe v. Wade as law and protecting the right to an abortion from the stolen Supreme Court majority.
— Ed Markey (@EdMarkey) May 3, 2022
