OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
A far-left House Democrat made a stunning claim about the U.S. Supreme Court during an interview on Tuesday following reports centering on a majority draft opinion regarding the landmark 1973 abortion legalization case Roe v. Wade.
Speaking to CNN, Rep. Pramilla Japayal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, suggested that the justices did not have the authority or “the right” to reverse the ruling.
She first emphasized the “terror,” “fear,” “disgust,” and “outrage” she said she is felling over the draft opinion and its “rebuke of precedent.”
“This is a stunning, stunning rebuke of precedent and of the fundamental freedom that women have to make choices about our own bodies and our own futures and our own economic security,” she told “CNN’s Newsroom.”
While a number of other Democrats and their supporters in the media have claimed the draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito and was a full rebuke of Roe in a decision that, if it stands, would send the issue back to states to decide individually, represented “fascism,” Jayapal tried to argue that the court had no right to over turn the decades-old ruling because it is “settled law.”
“These justices are acting like this is somehow something that they have the right to change. They do not have the right to change this which has been settled law for two generations now of people who have grown up and have gone through their twenties in the firm belief that they can make these decisions about their own bodies,” Jayapal argued.
The leftist lawmaker went on to blast the “radicalization” of the right-leaning court and claimed that the potential decision could allow the justices to overturn other examples of “settled law.”
“The only thing that has changed is the makeup of the Supreme Court, the radicalization of the Supreme Court. And if they can do this for this issue, it means that they can ignore precedent for every other issue that we have considered settled law. So we cannot accept it. I don’t think people across this country are going to accept it, and of course, we have to now work extra hard to codify Roe v. Wade in the United States Congress,” she said.
The official ruling on ‘Roe’ is not expected until June, when the court’s current session expires. Some analysts have suggested that it could change by then, even though a majority of justices signed on to Alito’s draft.
Meantime, mostly Republicans are demanding to know who leaked the draft to POLITICO, which was an unprecedented act in the modern age and a massive breach of the rules governing the high court, not to mention justices’ trust in themselves.
“If this story is true, the Court should issue its opinion right away,” tweeted former federal prosecutor and Fox News contributor Andrew McCarthy. “Otherwise the disgraceful leak wins. I would say that if my side lost. If we lose the integrity of the Court’s process, we lose the Court. That should be intolerable to all of us who live the country.”
If this story is true, the Court should issue its opinion right away. Otherwise the disgraceful leak wins. I would say that if my side lost. If we lose the integrity of the Court’s process, we lose the Court. That should be intolerable to all of us who live the country.
— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) May 3, 2022
Added former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik: “It appears that we have already lost the integrity of the court or we would not be having this discussion. In my lifetime I don’t remember anything such as this. Will there be accountability for this leak?”
It appears that we have already lost the integrity of the court or we would not be having this discussion.
In my lifetime I don’t remember anything such as this.
Will there be accountability for this leak?
— Bernard B. Kerik (@BernardKerik) May 3, 2022
