Oral arguments before the Supreme Court on Wednesday strongly indicated that the conservative supermajority is going to strike down Roe vs. Wade. That will open the door to total abortion bans in all conservative states, as well as most swing states sooner or later — as Josh Marshall points out at Talking Points Memo, in states like Wisconsin, Republicans have gerrymandered the local legislature so thoroughly that democracy is functionally abolished there.
Democrats are naturally flipping their lids. The news loosed a million fundraising emails operatically melting down about the threat to abortion access, promising to fight for reproductive rights, and so on.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
It's worth pointing out that the obvious conservative end goal here is gigantically unpopular. If abortion is murder, as right-wing ideologues are constantly saying, then no exception for rape or incest is permissible — and indeed, the recent Texas abortion ban after 6 weeks contains no such exceptions. Banning all abortions without exception polls at 19 percent support.
But the truth is, congressional Democrats aren't going to enshrine protections for abortion access into federal law. Doing so would require getting rid of the Senate filibuster, which Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) do not support. A larger group of Democrats are plainly uncomfortable with a full-throated defense of reproductive rights, even if they are standing on firm public opinion ground.
Until the party can assemble a membership that actually supports doing what the party claims it believes, voting for Democrats will not accomplish anything for abortion rights on a national level.
-
Truck drivers are questioning the Trump administration's English mandateTalking Points Some have praised the rules, others are concerned they could lead to profiling
-
DC prosecutors lose bid to indict sandwich throwerSpeed Read Prosecutors sought to charge Sean Dunn with assaulting a federal officer
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
The France-Indonesia push for an Israeli-Palestinian two-state solutionTalking Points Both countries have said a two-state solution is the way to end the Middle East conflict
-
Israel-US 'rift': is Trump losing patience with Netanyahu?Today's Big Question US president called for an end to Gaza war and negotiated directly with Hamas to return American hostage, amid rumours of strained relations
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
