13 Infuriating Reactions to the Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled on the most important abortion case in two decades, saying parts of a Texas law that placed strict restrictions on abortion providers in the state were unconstitutional. The law had led to the closing of abortion clinics throughout Texas, and had it been upheld, would have affected abortion access across the country.
The pro-choice camp hailed the Supreme Court's decision.
Conservatives, however, took a different view, condemning the ruling as a blow for women's health. Here's how a handful of prominent conservatives reacted to the decision. (Note: Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, has not weighed in.)
Carly Fiorina
"The Supreme Court put women's health and safety at risk this morning- when they ruled that abortion clinics should be free to offer unsafe, substandard care," the former Republican presidential candidate said in a Facebook post.
"This decision is yet another reminder of how high the stakes are in 2016," she continued. "With one open seat on the Supreme Court, and the possibility of even more open seats on the horizon, we must do all we can to keep biased liberal justices off the bench. That means defeating Hillary Clinton - and electing as many conservative fighters to the U.S. Senate as possible this November."
Rep. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House
Sen. Marco Rubio
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
"The decision erodes States' lawmaking authority to safeguard the health and safety of women and subjects more innocent life to being lost," he said. "Texas' goal is to protect innocent life, while ensuring the highest health and safety standards for women."
Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas
"I'm clearly pro life," Patrick said at a press conference. "But if someone's going to have an abortion, I want them to have it in the safest possible environment. You've heard Planned Parenthood and others who are for abortion say, 'You know, if we keep passing laws, you're going to have women in back alleys getting abortions.' Well this is what the Supreme Court approved today."
Laura Ingraham, Political Commentator and Radio Host
Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council
Herman Cain, Former Republican Presidential Candidate
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz
"The SCOTUS ruling in Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt is profoundly disappointing. Texas enacted HB 2's commonsense health standards to ensure that women receive safe care," Cruz said in a Facebook post. "Unfortunately, the Supreme Court sided with abortion extremists who care more about providing abortion-on-demand than they do protecting women's health.
"This decision will not silence our fight to protect the most helpless and innocent among us, nor will we cease our efforts to protect women from an abortion industry that prioritizes profit margins over improving the safety and health of Texas women," he continued. "We will continue to stand resolutely to defend unborn life because we know that every life is a gift from God, and without life there is no liberty."
Russell Moore, Policy Head of the Southern Baptist Convention
Moore, an evangelical preacher and president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, made a short video assailing the Supreme Court decision, saying it now leaves abortion providers adrift in an unregulated "Wild West" type environment.
Kristina Hernandez, Communications Director at Students for Life of America
"Women lost today. … It is within the rights of the states, indeed, it is the duty of the states, to protect its citizens from predatory businesses, which is exactly what the abortion industry is," Hernandez said. "They prey on the vulnerabilities of women who are in desperate situations, placing their bottom line over the health and safety of the patients. And the U.S. Supreme Court, in efforts to put the so-called 'right to abortion' above everything else, just let them get away with it."
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker
Ben Shapiro, Editor in Chief of DailyWire.com
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