The Conservative movement in America has long been pushing for the repeal of the landmark Supreme Court decision made in Roe v. Wade. After years of strategizing and pushing their agenda through various means, it seems that the Conservatives have finally overthrown Roe. However, they seem to be quiet about this victory at their annual gathering at CPAC.
Roe v. Wade, a case that was decided by the US Supreme Court in 1973, ensured a woman’s right to choose whether or not to have an abortion without undue interference from the government. For decades, Conservatives have argued that this decision was unconstitutional and have been working to overturn it. They have passed laws in states, fought legal battles in courts, and rallied supporters to their cause.
Now, it seems that their efforts have finally paid off. Under the Trump administration, there have been numerous attempts to restrict access to abortion and limit reproductive rights. The nomination of conservative judges, such as Justice Brett Kavanaugh, has also strengthened the Conservatives’ ability to push their agenda through the courts.
One of the most significant victories for the Conservatives came in 2019 when the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case called June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. The case challenged a law in Louisiana that required doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the location where the procedure takes place. This law was found to be unconstitutional in 2016 in a similar case called Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.
However, under the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court, there was a concern that the Louisiana law would be upheld, setting a dangerous precedent for other states to pass similar laws that would further restrict access to abortion. In June 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the Louisiana law was indeed unconstitutional, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberal justices in the decision.
This may seem like a victory for reproductive rights, but the Conservatives also saw it as a victory for their cause. Despite the loss, the four conservative justices on the Supreme Court (Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh) all wrote concurring opinions that suggested that they are open to overturning Roe v. Wade. This was a clear sign to the Conservative movement that they may finally have the votes on the Supreme Court to make their dream a reality.
There are other signs that Conservatives believe they have overthrown Roe. In the last few years, several states have passed laws that restrict access to abortion, with some even banning the procedure outright. These laws have been designed specifically to challenge the legality of Roe v. Wade in the courts, with state lawmakers hoping that their laws will be challenged and eventually make their way to the Supreme Court.
One such law is the Texas Heartbeat Act, which was passed in May 2021 and went into effect in September 2021. This law bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, which is when a fetal heartbeat can usually be detected. This law also allows private citizens to sue anyone who provides or aids someone in getting an abortion after the six-week mark. This effectively allows anyone who thinks that someone is getting an abortion after six weeks to sue the doctor or person who helped them.
This law has faced numerous legal challenges, with the US Supreme Court allowing it to go into effect in September despite the challenges. This has been seen as a significant victory for the Conservative movement and has emboldened other states to pass similar laws.
Despite this apparent victory, the Conservatives seem to be staying quiet about it at their annual gathering at CPAC. This could be because they don’t want to draw attention to their ultimate goal of overturning Roe v. Wade, which could be seen as controversial by the general public. However, it’s also possible that they feel that they’ve won already and don’t need to make a big deal out of it.
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that the Conservative movement in America has finally overthrown Roe. Whether or not they will be successful in fully overturning the landmark decision remains to be seen, but they are certainly closer than ever before. The fight for reproductive rights in America may be far from over, but the recent victories for the Conservative movement suggest that the battle is heating up.