The end of pro-life Democrats
![Bob Casey Jr.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kxAs2oVf7PVDyahJkExfw-415-80.jpg)
Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) is going to vote with the overwhelming majority of his party in favor of a Democratic bill to codify Roe v. Wade in the aftermath of a leak showing a majority of the Supreme Court may be ready to reverse the 1973 abortion decision.
Casey's reversal signals the end for pro-life Democrats. He has campaigned as a moderate opponent of abortion, a stance that helped him win his Senate seat in the 2006 race against Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). His father and namesake was an even stronger pro-life Democrat.
Indeed, the elder Bob Casey, then governor of Pennsylvania, was denied a speaking slot at the 1992 Democratic National Convention at least in part because of his abortion views. And he was the "Casey" in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), a decision that came within a Justice Anthony Kennedy of overturning Roe 30 years ago and still wound up expanding the range of permissible abortion restrictions.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Now there is at most one maximally pro-life Democrat in each house of Congress. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va) represents a state that voted for former President Donald Trump by 40 points and is its last Democratic lawmaker. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) is facing a primary challenge and intense criticism within the party. And though Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) was first elected to the House as an abortion opponent, as the Democratic nominee for Senate, he now defends late-term abortions. He's following a Democratic tradition that includes President Biden himself.
If Roe truly goes, the partisan sorting on abortion will have paid one dividend to the pro-life cause: Republican presidents, especially Trump, who sent the issue back to the states. But the disappearance of pro-life Democrats could make it harder to enact a more just post-Roe abortion regime or create a patchwork of wildly disparate laws in red and blue states.
Political movements often benefit from bipartisan support. The Hyde amendment, which bans most federal funding of abortion, is named after a Republican congressman but was first passed by a Democratic majority. Now it could be imperiled by the next blue wave, at a moment when abortion policy may be more controlled by elected officials than at any time in the last half century.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
W. James Antle III is the politics editor of the Washington Examiner, the former editor of The American Conservative, and author of Devouring Freedom: Can Big Government Ever Be Stopped?.
-
Magazine solutions - August 2, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 2, 2024
By The Week Staff Published
-
Magazine printables - August 2, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 2, 2024
By The Week Staff Published
-
'In a normal country, their activities wouldn't even be crimes'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'Democrats now have a chance to present a vigorous, compelling case'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How Black organizations quickly pivoted and mobilized for Kamala Harris
In the spotlight Harris has a shot at being the first Black woman to lead the Democratic ticket
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Harris clinches Democratic support, raises $81M
Speed Read President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid and endorsed her as his replacement
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The convention speakers whose political stars rose
The Explainer Why you're likely to see the future leaders of the Democratic and Republican Parties at the conventions
By David Faris Published
-
How Biden's enablers may have delayed his bowing out
Talking Points Joe Biden's inner circle faces calls for a reckoning for allegedly shielding the president — and the public — from questions of aging and electoral viability
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The Democrats 'resigned to a second Trump presidency'
Talking Points Did the assassination attempt end Biden's election chances?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Are down-ticket Democrats doomed?
Talking Points President Joe Biden's refusal to step back from his reelection campaign has some local Democrats wondering if their own races are in trouble — but not everyone is worried
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published