Don’t look now, but the powers that be (and those with political agendas) are beginning to rethink abortion laws including the abortion pill ban specifically, and their position on abortion in general.
Politics :
Last week, a federal judge banned the use of the so-called abortion pill Misoprostol nationwide. This came after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer and allowed states to prevent the procedure altogether. The lower court ruling meant that women in states where abortion is banned would not have access to Misoprostol to end a pregnancy.
Now, the US Supreme Court has stepped in with a temporary injunction that has turned abortion laws upside down.
According to The New York Times, Justice Samuel Alito issued an order last Friday to temporarily allow the abortion pill to remain widely available. The ruling would allow the Supreme Court time to consider if it should grant the Biden administration an emergency request to preserve the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug.
“If allowed to take effect, the lower courts’ orders would upend the regulatory regime for mifepristone, with sweeping consequences for the pharmaceutical industry, women who need access to the drug, and FDA’s ability to implement its statutory authority,” the unexpected brief said.
So, what’s really going on here? Why is an extremely conservative justice completely rethinking his stance on abortion laws after voting to eliminate the procedure less than a year ago?
Could the reversal be politically motivated?
In a report from POLITICO, Republicans are taking a political beating regarding their restrictive stance on abortion laws. In fact, their beliefs are now being called an “unmitigated political disaster” that requires an immediate do-over to prevent a whipping at the ballot box in 2024.
According to POLITICO, poll numbers show wide opposition to abortion restrictions within the United States. This includes 72% who oppose laws banning the sending of abortion pills through the mail, 63% who oppose six-week abortion bans similar to the one Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last week, and 52% who oppose 15-week abortion bans.
“These are bad numbers for Republicans,” POLITICO said. “Whether you are DeSantis signing a six-week ban or [GOP Sen. Tim] Scott (tentatively) supporting a 15-week ban, you are still on the losing side of public opinion. That’s to say nothing of the Republicans who support outright bans, where public support ranges from the single digits to the low 20s, depending on whether there are exceptions for the life of the mother, incest or rape.”
Now, multiple GOP presidential hopefuls are being forced to concede that although their hardline anti-abortion policies may be popular among their conservative base, the issue will ultimately alienate voters they need to win the presidency.
“Any conversation about banning abortion or limiting it nationwide is an electoral disaster for the Republicans,” said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican who describes himself as “pro-choice” but also signed a law banning abortions in the state after 24 weeks.
“The Republican Party has an inability to move off this issue in a way that doesn’t scare the heck out the average voter, the independent voter, the younger generation of voters,” Sununu continued. “These guys keep pushing themselves deeper and deeper into an ultra-right base that really does not define the bulk of the Republican Party.”
Will the US Supreme Court permit the abortion pill to remain available for women nationwide? Will the GOP’s conservative/evangelical stance against a woman’s right to choose come back to haunt them in the general election?
Only time will tell.
OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Abortion laws could command 2024.
You bring up a good point DJ. We already know Repubs are in cahoots with the supreme court. They see this becoming a issue people hate so they get their klan on the court to fix it before the election.