What Does the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Abortion Tell Us?

            In releasing their decision on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and sent the issue of abortion back to the states as per the Tenth Amendment.

            Leftists went crazy, and President Joe Biden signed an executive order to respond to the landmark ruling. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing today on the legal situation following the court ruling and heard testimony from numerous witnesses. Evalyn Homoelle and Douglas Blair published an article at The Daily Signal and gave the following five take-aways from the Senate hearing about the post-Roe America. 

1)      Hawley Accused of Being ‘Transphobic’

Though the opening video prepared by Senate Democrats seemed to imply abortion is a women’s issue, one witness seemed to strongly disagree.

During a back-and-forth exchange with Sen. Josh Hawley, University of California at Berkley law professor Khiara Bridges accused the lawmaker of excluding biological men who say they are women when he said that women get pregnant.

“You’ve referred to people with a capacity for pregnancy,” Hawley, R-Mo., said. “Would that be women?” …

Bridges: “I want to recognize that your line of questioning is transphobic, and it opens up trans people to violence.”

An incredulous Hawley responded by asking if Bridges was seriously implying that he was transphobic simply for stipulating that only women can get pregnant.

Bridges answered by saying that asking if only women could get pregnant was transphobic, and then asked Hawley if he though men could get pregnant.

“No, I don’t think men can get pregnant,” the Missouri lawmaker said.

“Then, you’re denying trans people exist. Thank you.” said Bridges.

2)      Attacks Against Pregnancy Help Centers

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., focused on the harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence made against Supreme Court justices since the May 2 leak of a draft of the Dobbs ruling and in the weeks since the official ruling was issued.

“Over the last few months, we’ve seen a marked increase in violence and intimidation by pro-abortion groups,” he said. “Left-wing mobs have gathered outside the homes of Supreme Court justices to try to intimidate them and affect their decision in the Dobbs case in blatant violation of federal law, yet the weak and hopelessly partisan Attorney General Merrick Garland refused to enforce that federal law. …

“It’s not just Supreme Court justices targeted. Pro-abortion groups, including one calling itself Jane’s Revenge, have claimed credit for firebombing a pro-life organization in Madison, Wisconsin, and numerous other firebombings, attacks, and acts of vandalism against pro-life groups in more than a dozen states….

Cotton asked each of the witnesses whether they condemned the violence and vandalism by radical pro-choice groups….

 

3)      Clinic Referrals to Pregnancy Centers

Some politicians, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have said the government should act against pregnancy resource centers and prevent them from operating.

“With Roe gone, it’s more important than ever to crack down on so-called crisis pregnancy centers that mislead and deceive patients seeking abortion care,” Warren tweeted late last month….

When Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked her what services pregnancy resource centers provide that Planned Parenthood doesn’t, [Heidi] Matzke said, “Ironically, where we are at in Sacramento, California, Planned Parenthood actually refers patients to us. Once a woman walks in, if they do not choose abortion, they are referred to Alternatives Pregnancy Center to be cared for.

She added, “The fact that Planned Parenthood sees the value of who we are and what we offer to women is important for everyone here to understand.”

4)      Abortion Law Now Aligns With Constitution

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, used the majority of his allotted time for a statement about the system of government in America and how the Dobbs ruling upholds the Constitution.

“It’s also important that we recognize in response to those who have said that the Dobbs decision was somehow undemocratic, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Dobbs decision was a victory for republican democracy. There really is no way to argue otherwise with any credibility,” he said. “What the court did in Dobb was to return this question, of whether or in what circumstances abortion will be allowed, back to the people and to their elected lawmakers.”

This is a decision that is not taken off the table by the Constitution, and because it’s not taken off the table by the Constitution, it belongs to the people, who can exercise that decision through their elected lawmakers.

This is how republican democracy in America works. This is how our republic was always intended and established to function….

5)      Democrats Used to Be More Pro-Life

Lee addressed his Democrat colleagues and reminded several that they once supported the pro-life message.

“The doomsday calls from those on the left are ignoring common sense and ignoring human instinct about protecting the most vulnerable among us. Members of this committee, including some who are now attacking the Dobbs decision, once shared these views,” he said.

Lee then submitted a copy of a letter written by Durbin in 1989, when he was in the House of Representatives, in which he said, “I believe we should end abortion on demand” and “I continue to believe the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade should be reversed.”