In 1973, the Supreme Court made a landmark decision that ensured peoples’ rights to have abortions. Roe v. Wade has been under attack ever since, with Republicans ramping up their efforts in recent years through legislation like Texas’s infamous abortion ban. And soon, it will be even easier for states to pass such bans: A leak of a scathing Supreme Court opinion, first released by Politico and later confirmed as authentic by the Court, indicates that Roe will be overturned next month.
Most reporting about restricting abortion access has focused on Republicans. While they certainly led the charge, Democratic leadership has consistently dropped the ball. Under former President Barack Obama, Democrats had a chance to codify Roe — in fact, Obama promised Planned Parenthood in 2007 that the “first thing” he’d do as president was sign the Freedom of Choice Act. But as The Cut reported, in 2009, the then-president said it was not his “highest legislative priority.”
