WASHINGTON (AP) — Both sides are telling the Supreme Court there’s no middle ground in Wednesday’s showdown over abortion. The justices can either reaffirm the constitutional right to an abortion or wipe it away altogether.
Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that declared a nationwide right to abortion, is facing its most serious challenge in 30 years in front of a court with a 6-3 conservative majority that has been remade by three appointees of President Donald Trump.
kAm“%96C6 2C6 ?@ 92=7 >62DFC6D 96C6[” D2:5 $96C:7 v:C8:D[ 2 }@EC6 s2>6 =2H AC@76DD@C H9@ @?46 D6CG65 2D 2 =2H 4=6C< 7@C yFDE:46 $2>F6= p=:E@]k^Am
kAmp CF=:?8 E92E @G6CEFC?65 #@6 2?5 E96 `hha 42D6 @7 !=2??65 !2C6?E9@@5 G] r2D6J H@F=5 =625 E@ @FEC:89E 32?D @C D6G6C6 C6DEC:4E:@?D @? 23@CE:@? :? ae DE2E6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 vFEE>2496C x?DE:EFE6[ 2 C6D62C49 @C82?:K2E:@? E92E DFAA@CED 23@CE:@? C:89ED]k^Am
kAm%96 42D6 36:?8 2C8F65 (65?6D52J 4@>6D 7C@> |:DD:DD:AA:[ H96C6 2 a_`g =2H H@F=5 32? 23@CE:@?D 27E6C `d H66<D @7 AC68?2?4J[ H6== 367@C6 G:23:=:EJ] %96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 92D ?6G6C 2==@H65 DE2E6D E@ 32? 23@CE:@? 367@C6 E96 A@:?E 2E C@F89=J ac H66<D H96? 2 76EFD 42? DFCG:G6 @FED:56 E96 H@>3]k^Am
kAm%96 ;FDE:46D 2C6 D6A2C2E6=J H6:89:?8 5:DAFE6D @G6C %6I2D’ >F49 62C=:6C 23@CE:@? 32?[ 2E C@F89=J D:I H66<D[ E9@F89 E9@D6 42D6D EFC? @? E96 F?:BF6 DECF4EFC6 @7 E96 =2H 2?5 9@H :E 42? 36 492==6?865 :? 4@FCE[ ?@E E96 23@CE:@? C:89E]k^Am
kAm$E:==[ 23@CE:@? C:89ED 25G@42E6D H6C6 EC@F3=65 3J E96 4@FCE’D d\c G@E6 :? $6AE6>36C E@ 2==@H E96 %6I2D =2H[ H9:49 C6=:6D @? 4:E:K6? =2HDF:ED E@ 6?7@C46 :E[ E@ E2<6 67764E :? E96 7:CDE A=246]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D E96 >@DE H@CC:65 x’G6 6G6C 366?[” D2:5 $92??@? qC6H6C[ H9@ CF?D E96 @?=J 23@CE:@? 4=:?:4 :? |:DD:DD:AA:[ E96 y24<D@? (@>6?’D w62=E9 ~C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 4=:?:4 @776CD 23@CE:@?D FA E@ `e H66<D @7 AC68?2?4J 2?5 23@FE `_T @7 23@CE:@?D :E A6C7@C>D E2<6 A=246 27E6C E96 `dE9 H66<[ qC6H6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ ?@E65 E92E D:?46 E96 %6I2D =2H E@@< 67764E[ E96 4=:?:4 92D D66? 2 DF3DE2?E:2= :?4C62D6 :? A2E:6?ED[ @A6C2E:?8 7:G6 52JD @C D:I 52JD 2 H66< :?DE625 @7 EH@ @C E9C66]k^Am
kAm{@H6C 4@FCED 3=@4<65 E96 |:DD:DD:AA: =2H[ 2D E96J 92G6 @E96C 23@CE:@? 32?D E92E 6>A=@J EC25:E:@?2= 6?7@C46>6?E >6E9@5D 3J DE2E6 2?5 =@42= @77:4:2=D]k^Am
kAm%96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE 925 ?6G6C 367@C6 6G6? 28C665 E@ 962C 2 42D6 @G6C 2 AC6\G:23:=:EJ 23@CE:@? 32?] qFE 27E6C yFDE:46 #FE9 q256C v:?D3FC8’D 562E9 =2DE J62C 2?5 96C C6A=246>6?E 3J yFDE:46 p>J r@?6J q2CC6EE[ E96 E9:C5 @7 %CF>A’D 2AA@:?E66D[ E96 4@FCE D2:5 :E H@F=5 E2<6 FA E96 42D6]k^Am
kAm%CF>A 925 A=65865 E@ 2AA@:?E “AC@\=:76 ;FDE:46D” 2?5 AC65:4E65 E96J H@F=5 =625 E96 H2J :? @G6CEFC?:?8 E96 23@CE:@? CF=:?8D] ~?=J @?6 ;FDE:46[ r=2C6?46 %9@>2D[ 92D AF3=:4=J 42==65 7@C #@6 E@ 36 @G6CCF=65]k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCE 4@F=5 FA9@=5 E96 |:DD:DD:AA: =2H H:E9@FE 6IA=:4:E=J @G6CCF=:?8 #@6 2?5 r2D6J[ 2? @FE4@>6 E92E H@F=5 D2E:D7J ?6:E96C D:56]k^Am
kAmp3@CE:@?\C:89ED 25G@42E6D D2J E92E C6DF=E H@F=5 2>@F?E E@ E96 D2>6 E9:?8 2D 2? @FEC:89E CF=:?8 @G6CEFC?:?8 E96 62C=:6C 42D6D 3642FD6 :E H@F=5 6C2D6 E96 C2E:@?2=6 F?56C8:C5:?8 ?62C=J 2 92=7\46?EFCJ @7 $FAC6>6 r@FCE =2H]k^Am
kAm“p 564:D:@? FA9@=5:?8 E9:D 32? :D E2?E2>@F?E E@ @G6CCF=:?8 #@6] %96 32? AC@9:3:ED 23@CE:@? 2C@F?5 EH@ >@?E9D 367@C6 G:23:=:EJ[” D2:5 yF=:6 #:<6=>2?[ H9@ H:== 2C8F6 E96 42D6 7@C E96 4=:?:4]k^Am
kAm~? E96 @E96C D:56[ 23@CE:@? @AA@?6?ED 2C8F6 E92E E96 4@FCE 6DD6?E:2==J :?G6?E65 23@CE:@? =2H :? #@6 2?5 r2D6J[ 2?5 D9@F=5?’E C6A62E E92E >:DE2<6 :? E9:D 42D6]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 ;FDE:46D FA9@=5 |:DD:DD:AA:’D =2H[ E96J’== 92G6 E@ 6IA=2:? H9J[ D2:5 %9@>2D y:AA:?8[ 2 w6C:E286 u@F?52E:@? =682= 76==@H] %96J 42? 6:E96C @G6CCF=6 E96 EH@ 3:8 42D6D[ y:AA:?8 D2:5[ “@C E96J’C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 4@>6 FA H:E9 2?@E96C >256\FA CF=6]”k^Am
kAmr@?D6CG2E:G6 4@>>6?E2E@C t5 (96=2? D2:5 DF49 2? @FE4@>6 H@F=5 36 2 “>2DD:G6 56762E” @? A2C H:E9 E96 r2D6J 564:D:@? :? `hha[ :? H9:49 2 4@FCE H:E9 6:89E ;FDE:46D 2AA@:?E65 3J #6AF3=:42? AC6D:56?ED F?6IA64E65=J C6277:C>65 #@6]k^Am
kAm%9:D 4@FCE 2AA62CD 72C >@C6 4@?D6CG2E:G6 E92? E96 @?6 E92E 564:565 r2D6J[ 2?5 =682= 9:DE@C:2? |2CJ +:68=6C 2E u=@C:52 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ’D =2H D49@@=[ D2:5 E96 4@FCE AC@323=J H@F=5 “@G6CCF=6 #@6 @C D6E FD @? 2 A2E9 E@ 5@:?8 D@]”k^Am
kAmr9:67 yFDE:46 y@9? #@36CED >:89E 7:?5 E96 >@C6 :?4C6>6?E2= 2AAC@249 2AA62=:?8 :7 96 42? A6CDF256 2 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 4@FCE E@ 8@ 2=@?8] $:?46 #@36CED 3642>6 49:67 ;FDE:46 :? a__d[ E96 4@FCE 92D >@G65 :? D>2==6C DE6AD @? D@>6 :DDF6D[ 6G6? H96? :E 2AA62C65 E96C6 H2D @?=J 2 3:?2CJ 49@:46]k^Am
kAmxE E@@< EH@ 42D6D 7@C E96 4@FCE E@ C:A @FE E96 962CE @7 E96 7656C2= '@E:?8 #:89ED p4E E92E 4FC365 A@E6?E:2==J 5:D4C:>:?2E@CJ G@E:?8 =2HD :? DE2E6D H:E9 2 9:DE@CJ @7 5:D4C:>:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx? E96 2C62 @7 @C82?:K65 =23@C[ E96 4@FCE >@G65 E9C@F89 2 D6C:6D @7 42D6D E92E 49:AA65 2H2J 2E AF3=:4 D64E@C F?:@?D’ A@H6C]k^Am
kAm%96 9:89 4@FCE 2=D@ 962C5 EH@ C@F?5D @7 2C8F>6?ED @G6C C6DEC:4E:@?D @? :?56A6?56?E DA6?5:?8 :? E96 A@=:E:42= 2C6?2 367@C6 C6>@G:?8 =:>:ED @? 9@H >F49 >@?6J 4@CA@C2E:@?D 2?5 F?:@?D 42? A@FC :?E@ 6=64E:@? 25G@424J]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 4@FCE =@@<D E@ AF3=:4 D6?E:>6?E[ :E H@F=5 7:?5 A@== 27E6C A@== E92E D9@HD DFAA@CE 7@C AC6D6CG:?8 #@6[ E9@F89 D@>6 DFCG6JD 2=D@ 7:?5 324<:?8 7@C 8C62E6C C6DEC:4E:@?D @? 23@CE:@?]k^Am
kAm|:DD:DD:AA: :D @?6 @7 `a DE2E6D C625J E@ 24E 2=>@DE :>>65:2E6=J :7 #@6 :D @G6CEFC?65] %9@D6 DE2E6D 92G6 6?24E65 D@\42==65 23@CE:@? EC:886C =2HD E92E H@F=5 E2<6 67764E 2?5 32? 2== @C ?62C=J 2== 23@CE:@?D]k^Am
kAm(@>6? :? E9@D6 DE2E6D H2?E:?8 23@CE:@?D 4@F=5 7246 5C:G6D @7 9F?5C65D @7 >:=6D E@ C6249 E96 ?62C6DE 4=:?:4 @C E96J >:89E @3E2:? 23@CE:@? A:==D 3J >2:=] |65:42E:@? 23@CE:@?D ?@H 244@F?E 7@C c_T @7 23@CE:@?D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 =682= 3C:67D :? E96 42D6 >2<6 4=62C E92E E96 6?5 @7 #@6 :D ?@E E96 F=E:>2E6 8@2= @7 23@CE:@? @AA@?6?ED]k^Am
kAm%96 4@FCE D9@F=5 C64@8?:K6 E92E “F?3@C? 49:=5C6? 2C6 A6CD@?D” F?56C E96 r@?DE:EFE:@?’D `cE9 p>6?5>6?E[ 2 4@?4=FD:@? E92E H@F=5 4@>A6= 2? 6?5 E@ 2=>@DE 2== =682= 23@CE:@?D[ !C:?46E@? AC@76DD@C #@36CE v6@C86 2?5 D49@=2C y@9? u:??:D HC@E6] u:??:D H2D yFDE:46 }6:= v@CDF49’D 25G:D6C @? 9:D ~I7@C5 5:DD6CE2E:@?[ 2? 2C8F>6?E 282:?DE 2DD:DE65 DF:4:56]k^Am