For decades, conservatives have fought to end abortion killings in the United States by defunding Planned Parenthood.
Now, under President-elect Donald Trump, victory may be at hand.
Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide, is in serious jeopardy under Trump’s presidency. If a reconfigured high court did overturn it, there’s a very real chance that abortions could be completely outlawed once and for all.
However, the likely outcome would be a patchwork map: some states protecting abortion access, others enacting tough bans, and many struggling over what new limits they might impose.
Trump, who will have at least one Supreme Court vacancy to fill, has pledged to appoint “pro-life” justices who potentially would be open to weakening or reversing Roe. With one seat vacant, the high court now has a 5-3 majority supporting abortion rights, and thus one of those five would need to vacate his or her seat to give the court an anti-abortion majority.
Trump broached that possibility in an interview aired Sunday night on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” suggesting that a reversal of Roe would return the matter to the states, leaving it up to their legislatures to decide the future of abortion access.
Asked about the likelihood that some women would face abortion bans in their states, Trump replied, “Well, they’ll perhaps have to go, they’ll have to go to another state.”
Supporters of abortion concurred with that analysis.
“If Roe were overturned, we would likely return to a patchwork quilt of laws, which would force women onto the road even more than at present,” said Dr. David Grimes, a North Carolina obstetrician-gynecologist.
Anti-abortion leader Clark Forsythe, acting president and senior counsel for Americans United For Life, predicted that the states would break into three basic categories if Roe were overturned: Perhaps a dozen states would continue to make abortion widely accessible, another dozen or so would ban virtually all abortions unless the mother’s life were at stake, and roughly two-dozen more states would thrash out their response with debate among the public and in the legislatures. Forsythe suggested that some of those states might allow abortions in the first trimester of pregnancy, while restricting or banning later abortions.
Among the states likely to maintain full access to abortion are those on the Pacific Coast and in the Northeast. South-central and southeastern states would be among those likely to impose bans, potentially leaving women in a huge, contiguous chunk of the United States with no nearby access to abortion providers.
“For many women, it’s not possible to traverse across multiple state lines,” said Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights. “This could have tragic consequences.”
In the decades since the Roe decision, several states have kept or added anti-abortion laws that could take effect immediately if the ruling were overturned.
Among them is Wisconsin. Nicole Safar, director of government relations for the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliate, said a statute has been on the books since 1849 making it a felony for a doctor to perform an abortion in Wisconsin. Abortion is likely to remain legal in neighboring Illinois, but Safar said even that trip might be out of reach for many low-income women in Wisconsin.
Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, said a reconfigured Supreme Court might address an abortion case by leaving some aspects of Roe in place, but chipping away at it to allow a broader range of restrictions.
“It’s not so easy to overturn Roe,” she said.
Anti-abortion leader Marjorie Dannenfelser of the Susan B. Anthony List also predicted that a “chipping away” of Roe might be more likely than its total reversal. She said Congress was likely to pass a ban on most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and states would feel more emboldened in passing tough anti-abortion laws.
“Roe is already in shambles,” she said.
Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said Roe’s eventual demise would mean even brighter prospects for state anti-abortion legislation.
“Our state affiliates have been working to pass laws, but they run up against Roe,” she said. “If Roe were overturned, it would allow us to fight in each state.”
Professor Michael New, an abortion opponent who teaches economics at Ave Maria University in Florida, said he would welcome a reversal of Roe even if abortion policy in many states remained unchanged.
“It would restart a serious debate about sanctity of life issues in the United States,” he wrote in an email. “This is a debate that pro-lifers welcome.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article
Only the abortion part of the operation – get over it you “Liberal” Morons.
They can’t read. Plus, it should never have been Federally funded in the first place.
Yes, DRD5508, goodness knows we don’t want our wimmen folk having affordable medical care in these here United States, would we?
Abortion is a CHOICE and should be paid for privately NOT funded by taxpayers. Just as plastic surgery is a person’s choice and is not covered by insurance or funded by taxpayers so should abortion not be paid for by taxpayers. It should be paid by the person seeking to murder God’s greatest give, their baby.
Furthermore, Abortion is HYPOCRITICAL. That’s why Liberal Democrats support murdering unborn babies. If someone kills a mother and her UNBORN child that person is charged with 2 COUNTS OF MURDER, however, abortion is perfectly legal and encouraged by Planned Parenthood which is an oxymoron. So, if abortion is the killing of an UNBORN baby and is legal how can the killing of an UNBORN baby by any other means be illegal? Lawyers for defendants accused of these murders should be bringing this up at trial.
OracleGuy – I do not believe that the taxpayers should be paying for abortion. I do not see your connection to affordable medical care for women folk. Personally, I do not even want to take a stand to be pro or against abortion. I am adopted but have friends over the years that have had abortions. I lean more towards educated pro choice by providing opportunites other than abortions for unwanted pregancies. However, I will take a stand against taxpayer $$$s paying for abortion. Let private donations fund them.
Exactly! While the first ethic of the Charter is “Life”, from which all other rights flow, like “Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (predated by ‘Property’, in Natural Law)”, the terms “choice…abortion…right to kill a child…choice of life or death over a human being…the distinction of when a child becomes a human being…” The federal government, except for the protection of Citizens, has no enumerated powers to make that distinction and must first protect “life” above any conflicting right, especially a manufactured, man made right, not a natural right, not a God given Right.
Abortion is not a right, not a right guaranteed by the Constitution, therefor a states right. Life is a prevailing right to the manufactured, man made right to “abortion” for the purposes of “privacy”, a tortured, counter-intuitive, subordinate right.
While it’s unlikely that trump will have anything to do with the changing anything to do with abortion, if the choice is returned to the States and some states, like California, New York, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, et al….for those that wish to seek abortions, and those that wish to support abortions and feel strongly about it, they should seek private donation for “Planned Parenthood” to support their abortion mills on the democrat party’s urban plantations and keep the state and federal governments out of the business of killing children that are too innocent and too vulnerable to make their own choices of their own life or death, yet.
Yes, science on our side. Taxation with out representation. Theft like this lead to debt. Also social truths are ignored and lied about. No such thing as unwanted baby. Only women who need tubes tied.
If these women don’t want the kids they should keep there legs crossed that would solve there problems.
Good riddance to the murderers of unborn children.
As long as the medical profession waffles on when life begins, I don’t see much hope for overturning abortion. As long as it is seen as a right of women, it will continue.
The MAINSTREAM medical profession doesn’t know everything. For instance they have been ignoring the natural treatments to heal everything from the common cold to cancer. I personally don’t give a hoot whether those doctors continue ‘waffling’ on when life begins or not. GOD states when life begins and that’s good enough for me and many other men and women. I can also tell you a bit about the end of life and what happens after. Those who promote, perform or receive an abortion WILL spend an eternity in hell if they do not give their life over to Jesus Christ and accept His forgiveness. IT’S MURDER OF THE MOST INNOCENT!!!!
Women have a right to not get pregnant but if they abrogate that right they do not have the right to kill the unborn fetus.
Your sentence should be plastered all over the place, James. There are countless strategies and simple free applications to NOT get pregnant. Any level of income woman can easily ‘listen to her body’ and use the easy natural family planning practice – free and cheaper than a condom. (aside from rape) for someone to be lazy and not have a condom with them, forget to use their birth control method, or be in the moment and not worry about the consequences and think they’ll just ‘get rid of their baby’ is against natural human moral law. It’s so appalling. I’m dumb founded and utterly sickened at it all…
If Roe was reversed this matter would return to the states where it should have remained under the 10th amendment to the Constitution. Hopefully future Supreme Court picks will have some familiarity with the Constitution. Many of our current justices get their legal knowledge from reading people magazine and watching reruns of Law and Order.
A future court could rule that all persons have a basic right to life and that right exists even when another person is wrapped around them.
How do you control abortions preformed by God – maybe that is why there is separation between Church and State.
I hope you are not an attorney in your fantasy world, else you would likely charge God with murder when someone dies of cancer. Time for your medication and daily nap now…
What else do you call the high percentage of “miscarriages” in a pregnancy? I call them God’s abortions. Yes, I have experienced it.
If he were an attorney he should KNOW that the separation of church and state means that the state is to butt out and not declare that there be a national religion and that no others will be allowed or dictate what religion is or is not allowed.
So many people who have never read our founding documents or law books still believe it is that churches are to stay out of state business. I pray that more Christians would step up to run for government office to curtail the liberals/progressives/communists from being in a position to make or have an influence over the rest of us.
Women have rights to their own bodies; but, alas whom they are carrying are not their body or soul. Taking a life/body that is not your own is murder.
Fran – a first trimester fetus is not a viable person and has no rights. God does abortions all the time – how do you feel about that?
There is a difference between GOD’s will and man’s will. If a woman has an abortion and kills her baby there is no consequence but if a pregnant woman is murdered it is a double homicide.
It’s not her body, the body belong to God.
There is no reason for taxpayers to fund abortion clinics. It is a medical procedure and should be covered by every medical insurance provider. Men have no real say in this – it is between a woman and her doctor – no one else. I personally don’t approve of abortion after the first trimester unless there are extreme circumstances. I respect the rights of a woman to control her own body.
Hopefully, reversing Roe will bring us back to a “culture of life” and a world at peace with itself!!
You must not be old enough to remember what it was like before Roe vs Wade. Of course, in those days it was considered a shame when an unwed woman became pregnant. I remember a movie star whose fetus died in the womb, but it could not be removed surgically. Women’s lives have been saved by abortions that prevented the loss of their lives. I don’t know what you mean by “culture of life”, but it has certainly been improved since Roe vs Wade.
Years ago the woman was shamed for having sex outside of marriage. Being pregnant was just the proof of that act for all to see. Morals and truth were important during those times by a majority of the people. We lead a simpler, happier, more loving life then, as there was much less crime due to the existence of the morals of our citizens. It was a shock when someone robbed or hurt or killed someone. Now, it’s old hat and nothing of concern as we have become hardened by the acts of the increasingly IMMORAL population. It truly is a shame what has happened to the hearts of the American people and all over the world. I miss those times of long ago so much.
Abortion should be a legal choice as long as NO tax money, state or federal or local, is used to facilitate the procedure. Other wise you will go back to having the back room unsafe procedures that were done before the 1973 law.
It would be really great if people would take the proper precautions BEFORE having sexual relations and use effective birth control. If a man or woman has decided that they don’t want children in their lives, then they should be proactive and seek sterilization to PREVENT pregnancy. Fortunately, there are some women who ARE sterile after having an abortion. There are also women who are maimed for life or die due to their decision to have an abortion. There are woman who are so overcome with remorse for killing their baby that they live the rest of their lives in a cloud of depression and/or they commit suicide.
I will make no apology for my remarks. Abortion is NOT to be used as a form of birth control as many women do. If a woman wants an abortion, then she should pay for it herself and NOT the taxpayers. Aborting your baby on purpose is a sin in the eyes of God. Women who have abortions should be sterilized at the same time to prevent the murder of another innocent child. There are many couples who would love to have and raise your child if you don’t want to. Complete the pregnancy and give the child up for adoption to someone who would love that child as if it were their own.
If my statements have offended anyone, that’s just too bad! Women killing their babies again and again because they fail to prevent it in the first place is offensive to me. Being too lazy to prepare ahead of time is NO excuse. Are you an animal with no restraint over sexual urges? God gave us these feelings and urges for a specific reason. But, I can tell you that His reason wasn’t so you could kill your baby should you become pregnant. It wasn’t so that you would prostitute yourself for the fun of it or you are bored or to make money from it. If you think that your life is a living hell…this is nothing compared to the real hell you will experience after death. Your only salvation is to cry out to Jesus and ask for forgiveness of your sins, accept Him as your personal savior and strive to live your life for Him according to His will. Know that there are many of us who are praying for your heart to soften so that you will not have to suffer that most horrible fate of an eternity in hell. Choose the gift of eternal LIFE instead.
Abortion is a form of human sacrifice that only Satan and his minions benefits. The shedding of innocent blood has put a curse on this great nation that once was blessed and graced by God. If this evil is eradicated from this land the Lord God will once again bless the USA and give back to us all the gifts of prosperity and peace. Thank God for Trump and may God keep him safe.
Abortion is human sacrifice that gives power to Satan and his minions. The shedding of innocent human blood only benefits Satan. If abortion is eradicated from our country, God will restore peace and blessing that this once great nation enjoyed. May God protect and keep President Trump safe as he takes charge of the government. Thank you God for answering our prayers.
I find it strange that people actually blame God for abortion. He is not responsible for this epidemic.
God does not perform abortions. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights.
Abortion is neither good, nor perfect. There are two powers in this universe. Good vs evil. God vs Satan.
With every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. God provides life (pregnancy) and Satan produces death(abortion).
Miscarriage does not come from God. God is good and his gifts are good. Satan came into this world to kill, rob, and destroy.
All destruction of human life comes from Satan and Hell. It has always been his purpose to deceive us. This is a strong delusion.
I pray for God to intervene on behalf of the unborn. God knew us before we were born. The word of God is spiritually discerned.
Miscarriage is God’s abortion!
Again we are back to old white men deciding on what is right for a women’s body. White men think that women should not be allowed birth control, nor abortion. What happened to choice. They choose that men’s items get covered and choose to take the blue pill, but no choice for women. I am pro choice, everyone should have the right to choose what is right for their own body. If you don’t like it then don’t do it. But, what give you the right to choose what any other women does with her body? And, if you think that life begins at screwing, then you have to put all the men in jail that tossed out sperm on their paper towel that could have been several baby’s that got tossed away. So, yeah I can come up with stupid comments to, just like the ones that think they have the right to tell me what MY RIGHT is! It’s my right, It’s my body not yours.
Everyone speaks of women’s rights with regard to abortion, but what about women’s responsibility to prevent pregnancy if they don’t want a baby. Cmon ppl, there’s hardly any reason to get pregnant if you use “free birth control”, it’s 99%effective!!! Condoms are 90%effective and there’s always NO. So where’s the need for abortion?
Yeah and my sister has 2 son both by being on birth control. And yeah I speak of women’s right, It’s my right, it’s my body, I have to live with what I choose to do. And no one should have the right to tell me what I can and can’t do. And if they feel they have the right to then they need to start paying my bills. If your going to tell me what I can and can’t do then you need to be controlling everything. Otherwise stay out of my vagina. It’s mine, not yours.
It will be terrific if all those wanting abortions move to the states that provide them. That would leave the rest of the states for God fearing Christians to populate. Then, we won’t have to worry about our Government forcing us to be complicit in all abortions by paying for them. This has been and is a fearful injustice.
That’s why I have a problem with the Republicans. How is it that men, who cannot get pregnant and who
dodge the support of children hav a say-so on wheter the impregnated woman should carry his child?
I would like to know how many children are born out of wedlock and have no way of being raised by both
parents. Let’s face it, the idea of a family is dead. I was born into a life of disarray but was too timid to get
into trouble. How many kids grow up on the street? Maybe the do-gooders have a plan to take all the
“single parent” kids off the street and take them into their home. Let me know how this is going to work out.
What about the “morning after pil”?
It seems very hypocritical to me that those who are most concerned about the rights of animals or the plight of murderers in sanctuary cities or the poor terrorist who might be water boarded do not seem to give a hoot about the innocent little children being tortured and torn apart coming out of the womb just so they can behave like animals having sex without consideration of the consequences. And don’t get on the “how about rape” train….the child is STILL the most innocent one of the three and I am sure someone would adopt and love that child. Perhaps the old system of chastity belts should be reinstated ??? I personally am not responsible to pay for the sex escapades of the immoral nor should I have to pay to murder the innocent.
Abortion may made illegal but it will not stop abortions. They will be done in back alleys and other bad places as it was prior to Wade. A person of any means can get on an airplane and fly to many countries on a Friday, have an abortion and return Monday, therefore abortion is really an equality issue therefore make nit illegal is really an attack on low income people
Here is the solution to the abortion issue. Abortion should not be decided by democrats or republicans or the government or religious nonsense. A fair and sensible service should be available to all women. When a woman gets pregnant she should have available a place where she can go that will present all options. Watch movies of other women who have regretted abortion and those who are happy they did it, about those who have had the baby and given it up and those who have keep the baby and how they feel about it. Watch the process of abortion and learn all of the ramifications of abortion. After being totally informed the mother can then decide what to do about it. Any woman after 2 abortions should be required to be sterilized. Simple, fair, and puts the responsibility on the mother where it belongs.
Yeah maybe we can bring back morals. Remember morals? Some women use abortion as a means of birth control. With Hollywood trash promoting sex in everything what the hell do you expect. Some women walk around looking like whores, then they wonder why men look at them that way. Have some class and dress conservatively okay? The worst part of all is girls are having sex younger at younger. 10, 11, 12 years old old. Why?
God creates men and gives Free Will. It’s up to human beings to choose. However, making a choice is not an easy thing.
Whether to keep a child or not. Whether to have sex or not. Whether to abort or not. Whether to love someone and give your life to him or her in marriage. Decision and more decision. Who has the knowledge, experience and skills to make the best decision. For those who are poor and less educated, they are likely to make more regretful decisions than those who are more educated — to have sex early on without consideration that a baby may come to their lives. Everyone needs education on marriage, love , sex and family. Everyone needs a job to provide sustenance to physical and spiritual needs.,. That’s why Donald Trump is elected the President and he will give each one of us a job to provide to our families. That’s why he will ask those who don’t want to have babies to get sterilization early on and not to have abortion. But still, it’s up to each one of us to choose to abort or not, legally or illegally, riskily or not. But please, it’s very very very sad and hurtful to abort a baby, who is so cute and part of the mother and father. Who knows, he or she can grow up to be a saint, a rich entrepreneur, a loving parent.
Well said rpv. It’s not fair to pay for someone’s else mistakes. Give the baby for adoption even if it’s rape. Between a mother’s life or a baby’s life, shouldn’t a mother love her child enough to sacrifice her life? I would say saving the baby is only fair, since the mother already have enjoyed days on this world. However, if both have to die because of illnesses, I am sure they will re-incarnate back again. After all, what is death? Is it the end of life? Is there no re-incarnation? Why are we so fearful of
death? Is it a disintegration? I can only see that death is the alighting of a vehicle called earth. What we carry on with it is our experiences — our families — spouses and children. When we unite with our spouses, our children — a healthy and well-functioning family — that emotional, spiritual energy and waves carry us beyond death. It’s the glue to our consciousness and our spiritual and emotional memories. It’s that bonding that is intangible and invisible but we can feel it.
Victory if done, awesome,
Killing babies is a crime, especially in the third trimester when they could survive outside the womb. Hillary is in favor of killing babies up to the day of birth….how does she live with herself? Of course, it wouldn’t apply to Chelsea if she wanted a late-term abortion of Hillary’s grandchild….or would it????
I’m sure that Hillary wouldn’t care one bit if her grandchild was aborted. After all, Hillary believes that until a child is born they are not even considered a person. It’s been reported by multiple sources that Hillary had several abortions herself. It was Bill’s decision for her to have a child to ‘make them look like a normal couple’. Alas, the child she bore, Chelsea, is not Bill Clinton’s child. She’s the spitting image of Webster Hubbell who was reported to be her lover at the time.
Like Same Sex Marriage, Abortion should be a matter of the State. If the citizens of the State want either, then the citizens of each individual State will vote it into practice and fund it with their States tax dollars only to be applied to citizens of their State and no others. So one cannot come from out of State for the sole purpose of aborting a baby.