美国总统拜登周四表示，他将启动“整个政府的努力”，以回应最高法院允许美国最严格的堕胎法在德克萨斯州生效，指示他的性别政策委员会和白宫法律团队利用联邦机构来确保妇女维护其堕胎的宪法权利。
德克萨斯州的新法律引起了民主党人和堕胎权利倡导者的担忧，他们担心其他州也会努力效仿。最高法院的裁决提供了一种新的激励，促使人们在联邦一级对堕胎采取行动，同时重新点燃了全国在堕胎问题上的政治分歧，1973年罗伊诉韦德案的裁决使堕胎合法化，高等法院本身也是如此。
拜登在一份声明中表示:“虽然首席大法官明确强调，最高法院的行动并不是对Roe未来的最终裁决，但昨晚的决定将立即产生影响，需要立即做出回应。
声明称:“因此，我指示该委员会和白宫法律顾问办公室发起一项政府整体努力来回应这一决定，特别关注卫生与公众服务部和司法部，看看联邦政府可以采取什么措施来确保德克萨斯州的妇女能够获得受Roe保护的安全合法的堕胎，以及我们有什么法律工具来使妇女和提供者免受德克萨斯州将执法外包给私人方的奇怪计划的影响。”。
司法部长梅里克·加兰也在一份声明中表示，司法部对德克萨斯州的法律“深感关切”SB 8，并且正在“评估保护妇女宪法权利的所有选择，包括堕胎权。”
最高法院在周三晚上以5比4的投票结果正式拒绝了一项请求在法律挑战仍在继续的同时，来自德克萨斯州的堕胎服务提供者阻止了该州限制堕胎程序的严厉法律。德克萨斯州的大多数堕胎现在都是怀孕六周后违法，不一定是得克萨斯州居民的普通公民被鼓励起诉他们认为在新参数之外提供堕胎服务或帮助妇女堕胎的人，例如强奸顾问或带妇女去诊所的优步司机。
反对堕胎的苏珊·安东尼名单组织的通讯副主席马洛里·奎格利称赞她称之为“先锋立法”
她告诉美国广播公司新闻，“最高法院允许该法律在诉讼继续期间继续有效，这一事实让我们充满希望和鼓舞。“这是我们想向选民传达的关于双方分歧的信息。”
但拜登表示，这一决定“引发了宪法混乱，并授权自封的执法者产生毁灭性影响”，该法律现在将“严重损害妇女获得所需的医疗保健，尤其是有色人种社区和低收入个人。”
“这项法律非常极端，甚至不允许强奸或乱伦的例外情况。拜登在声明中说:“这不仅使完全陌生的人能够将自己注入到女性做出的最隐私的决定中，而且实际上激励他们这样做，如果他们胜诉，他们可能会得到1万美元的赔偿。“大多数人在没有听证、没有听取下级法院意见、没有适当考虑问题的情况下这样做，是对法治和所有美国人向我们的法院寻求补救的权利的侮辱。”
副总统卡玛拉·哈里斯周四和拜登一起谴责最高法院的不作为。
哈里斯在一份声明中说:“这一决定不是罗伊诉韦德案的最后定论，我们不会让袖手旁观和我们的国家回到秘密堕胎的日子。“我们不会遵守对虚拟义务警员的现金奖励和对患者的恐吓。我们将利用本届政府的一切手段捍卫安全和合法堕胎的权利，并加强这一权利。”
白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基(Jen Psaki)周四在一次简报会上表示，总统将“渴望”签署一项法案，巩固堕胎权，使其成为美国的法律。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西(Nancy Pelosi)在奥斯汀的新闻发布会上表示，她预计其他州会出现“模仿”立法，并重申有必要立法保护妇女，她在一份声明中称法院的决定“懦弱”，并誓言将《妇女健康保护法》提交表决，该法案将编纂罗诉韦德案。
她在一份声明中说:“最高法院在深夜做出的支持公然违反宪法侵犯妇女权利和健康的懦弱决定令人震惊。”声明。“我们回来后，众议院将提出国会女议员朱棣文的《妇女健康保护法》，将美国所有妇女的生殖健康保护纳入法律。”
众议院定于9月20日休会后返回。，但鉴于民主党没有60票在参议院通过该法案，也没有51票修改参议院规则以允许其在共和党反对下获得通过，这一投票将只是象征性的。
然而，最高法院的决定促使进步的民主党人再次呼吁修改参议院的阻挠议事规则，并呼吁立法扩大最高法院的席位。
马萨诸塞州参议员埃德·马基(Ed Markey)说:“在唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)和参议员米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)公然窃取了斯卡利斯大法官和金斯伯格大法官的席位后，我们需要恢复法院的平衡。，在一份声明中说道。
当被问及增加最高法院大法官人数的可能性时，普萨基在周四的一次简报会上表示，拜登的观点仍然“未变”，他已经委托一个委员会调查法院的扩大和任期限制，该委员会尚未向他提交调查结果。
普萨基说:“他正在等待这份报告的结论，期待着对它进行审查，看看它们会出现在哪里。
与此同时，支持者担心其他州会通过类似于德克萨斯州的法律。
生殖权利中心总裁兼首席执行官南希·诺斯罗普(Nancy Northrop)周四告诉美国有线电视新闻网(CNN)，她预计最高法院的裁决将鼓励各州“完全无视罗伊诉韦德案。”
尽管大多数州的立法机构目前没有开会，但根据美国司法部的数据，今年已经出台了大约70项试图禁止全部或大部分堕胎的法案古特马赫研究所，跟踪州一级的性健康和生殖健康法案。
周四下午，生殖权利中心的州政策和宣传主任伊丽莎白·史密斯通过电子邮件告诉美国广播公司新闻，11个州最终可能会采用类似于德克萨斯州的执法策略。她说，该组织预计，当许多州立法机构在2022年恢复会议时，“我们将看到大多数模仿立法的出台。”
德克萨斯州的法律是独一无二的，因为它明确禁止该州执行这项禁令，而是授权公民个人对任何“帮助或教唆”堕胎的人提起民事诉讼，但不包括患者本人。执行机制使最高法院面临的法律纠纷变得复杂，因为不清楚谁可能提起诉讼，以及私人法律诉讼可能有多广泛。
史密斯写道:“根据该中心的研究，有24个州敌视堕胎权。“鉴于德克萨斯州迄今为止的成功，我们预计这些州中的许多将试图模仿它们。此时此刻，还有其他11个州对图书实施了为期6周的禁令，但这些禁令并没有得到执行。是什么阻止了这些州使用德克萨斯州的执法策略来避免在法庭上承担责任?”
例如，佛罗里达州的立法机构没有开会，但至少有一名州代表，国会候选人安东尼·萨巴蒂尼，已经承诺在阳光之州提出与德克萨斯州“完全相同”的法案。
他周四告诉美国广播公司新闻，该法案正在起草中。佛罗里达州参议院议长威尔顿·辛普森也对WFLA新闻佛罗里达州立法机构将在下一届会议上审议一项类似于得克萨斯州法律的法案。
在阿肯色州，州众议员杰森·雷珀特(Jason Rapert)是一名极右翼保守派人士，他声称自己是美国第一个通过的胎儿心跳法案的最初发起人，该法案后来在法庭上失败。他周四表示，他已经在推动一项法案，该法案将在州议会休会前更新阿肯色州的法律，以反映德克萨斯州的SB8法律。
他在一份声明中说:“我期待着与我的立法者同事合作，在我们休会前加入共同发起人和@AsaHutchinson，以通过这项重要的立法。”自录音再现装置发出的高音。
南达科他州的共和党州长克里斯蒂·诺姆是2024年的潜在总统候选人，他不想被另一位2024年的潜在候选人得克萨斯州州长格雷格·艾伯特超越，发推周四，她要求办公室的人调查德克萨斯州新的反堕胎法律，以及与南达科他州的法律相比如何，因为她希望她的州有“史上最强的反堕胎法律。”
但是其他州可能会反其道而行之，并可能会因为德克萨斯州的法律而加强堕胎保护。
史密斯说:“致力于堕胎权利和堕胎权的州可能会加强自己的法律，以回应最高法院让这项德克萨斯州法律生效的决定，类似于2016年大选后颁布的保护措施。
据一名国民称，超过十分之六的美国人表示，他们同意罗伊诉韦德案中最高法院确立女性堕胎权的裁决昆尼皮亚克民意测验它说，从5月份开始，昆尼皮亚克在这个问题上的民意调查显示，这一观点在近20年来一直保持不变。2003年，美国人以62-35%的比例同意Roe的决定。
艾米·哈格斯特罗姆·米勒(Amy Hagstrom Miller)是全妇女健康组织的首席执行官，该组织在德克萨斯州经营着四家诊所，她告诉美国广播公司新闻，她的团队不会放弃确保德克萨斯州妇女获得生殖健康服务的斗争。
“此时此刻，我们正处于一个前所未有的复杂局面，”她说，“但我们确信一件事——我们的价值观、我们的承诺以及我们所代表的东西没有改变。”
Biden slams SCOTUS refusal to block Texas abortion law, vows to pursue legal remedies
President Joe Biden said Thursday he is launching a "whole-of-government effort" in response to the Supreme Court allowing the nation's most restrictive abortion law totake effect in Texas, directing his Gender Policy Council and the White House legal team to tap federal agencies to ensure women maintain their constitutional right to an abortion.
The new law in Texas has raised concerns among Democrats and abortion rights advocates that there will be efforts in other states to imitate it. The Supreme Court ruling provides a fresh incentive to act on abortion on a federal level while reigniting the national political divide over abortion, the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing it, and the high court itself.
"While the Chief Justice was clear to stress that the action by the Supreme Court is not a final ruling on the future of Roe, the impact of last night's decision will be immediate and requires an immediate response," Biden said in a statement.
"Hence, I am directing that Council and the Office of the White House Counsel to launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to this decision, looking specifically to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to see what steps the Federal Government can take to ensure that women in Texas have access to safe and legal abortions as protected by Roe, and what legal tools we have to insulate women and providers from the impact of Texas' bizarre scheme of outsourced enforcement to private parties," the statement said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland also said in a statement that the Justice Department is "deeply concerned" about the Texas law, known asSB 8, and is "evaluating all options to protect the constitutional rights of women, including access to an abortion."
The Supreme Court in a 5-4 vote Wednesday nightformally rejected a requestfrom Texas abortion providers to block the state's severe law restricting the procedure while legal challenges continue. Most abortions in Texas are nowillegal after six weeks of pregnancy, and private citizens -- who do not have to be Texas residents -- are encouraged to sue a person they believe is providing an abortion outside the new parameters or assisting a woman in getting one, such as a rape counselor or an Uber driver taking a woman to a clinic.
Mallory Quigley, the vice president of communications of the Susan B. Anthony List, a group opposed to abortion, hailed what she called the "pioneer legislation."
"We're incredibly hopeful and encouraged by the fact that the Supreme Court is allowing the law to remain in effect while litigation continues," she told ABC News. "This is a message we want to take to voters about the differences between the two sides."
But Biden said the decision "unleashes constitutional chaos and empowers self-anointed enforcers to have devastating impacts" and that the law will now "significantly impair women's access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and individuals with low incomes."
"This law is so extreme it does not even allow for exceptions in the case of rape or incest. And it not only empowers complete strangers to inject themselves into the most private of decisions made by a woman -- it actually incentivizes them to do so with the prospect of $10,000 if they win their case," Biden's statement said. "For the majority to do this without a hearing, without the benefit of an opinion from a court below, and without due consideration of the issues, insults the rule of law and the rights of all Americans to seek redress from our courts."
Vice President Kamala Harris joined Biden on Thursday in condemning the Supreme Court's inaction.
"This decision is not the last word on Roe v. Wade, and we will not stand by and allow our nation to go back to the days of back-alley abortions," Harris said in a statement. "We will not abide by cash incentives for virtual vigilantes and intimidation for patients. We will use every lever of our Administration to defend the right to safe and legal abortion -- and to strengthen that right."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing on Thursday that the president would be "eager" to sign a bill that solidifies the right to an abortion as the law of the land.
Echoing the White House, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- who at a press conference in Austin said she expects to see "copycat" legislation in other states and reiterated the need for legislation to protect women -- called the court's decision "cowardly" in a statement and vowed to bring up the Women's Health Protection Act, a measure that would codify Roe v. Wade, for a vote.
"The Supreme Court's cowardly, dark-of-night decision to uphold a flagrantly unconstitutional assault on women's rights and health is staggering," she said in astatement. "Upon our return, the House will bring up Congresswoman Judy Chu's Women's Health Protection Act to enshrine into law reproductive health care for all women across America."
The House is scheduled to return from recess on Sept. 20., but that vote will only be symbolic given that Democrats don't have 60 votes to pass the bill in the Senate or 51 votes to change Senate rules to allow its passage over GOP opposition.
Still, the Supreme Court's decision has prompted progressive Democrats to renew their calls for changes to the Senate's filibuster rules -- and for legislation that would expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court.
"We need to restore balance to the court after Donald Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell blatantly stole the seats of Justice Scalise and Justice Ginsburg," Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said in a statement.
Asked about the potential for expanding the number of justices on the Supreme Court, Psaki said at a briefing on Thursday that Biden's view remains "unchanged" and that he has already tasked a commission, which has yet to present its findings to him, with looking into court expansion and term limits.
"He’s waiting for the conclusion of this report, looks forward to reviewing it, seeing where they come out," Psaki said.
Advocates are concerned, in the meantime, about other states passing laws similar to the one in Texas.
Nancy Northrop, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, told CNN on Thursday she expects the Supreme Court decision will embolden states "to completely ignore Roe v. Wade."
While the majority of state legislatures are not currently in session, about 70 bills attempting to ban all or most abortions were introduced this year, according to theGuttmacher Institute, which tracks state-level sexual and reproductive health bills.
Eleven states could end up using a similar enforcement strategy to Texas', Elisabeth Smith, director of state policy and advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights, told ABC News by email on Thursday afternoon. She said the organization expects that when many state legislatures resume meeting in 2022, "We will see the majority of copycat legislation introduced."
The Texas law is unique in that it expressly prohibits the state from enforcing the ban, instead authorizing private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who "aids or abets" an abortion -- but not the patient herself. The enforcement mechanism has complicated the legal dispute before the Supreme Court because it is not clear who might bring a lawsuit and how widespread private legal action might be.
"According to the center's research, there are 24 states that are hostile to abortion rights," Smith wrote. "Given Texas' success thus far, we expect that many of these states will attempt to mimic them. Right this moment, there are 11 other states with six-week bans on the books that are not being enforced. What is stopping these states from using Texas’ enforcement strategy to avoid accountability in the courts?"
Florida's legislature, for example, is not in session, but at least one state representative, congressional candidate Anthony Sabatini, has promised to introduce the "exact same" bill as Texas' in the Sunshine State.
He told ABC News on Thursday the bill is being drafted. Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson also said toWFLA Newsthat the Florida legislature would take up a bill similar to the Texas law in the next session.
In Arkansas, State Rep. Jason Rapert, a far-right conservative who claims to be the original sponsor of the first fetal heartbeat bill to pass in the U.S., which since failed in court, said on Thursday he is already pushing a bill that would update Arkansas law to mirror the Texas SB8 law before the state legislature adjourns.
"I look forward to working with my fellow legislators adding cosponsors and @AsaHutchinson to pass this important legislation before we adjourn the legislative session," he said in atweet.
And South Dakota's Republican Gov. Kristi Noem -- a potential 2024 presidential candidate -- not wanting to be outdone by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, another potential 2024 candidate,tweetedon Thursday that she's asked someone in her office to look into Texas's new anti-abortion law and how it compares to South Dakota's because she wants her state to have "the strongest pro life laws on the books."
But other states may go in the opposite direction and could enhance abortion protections as a result of the Texas law.
"States that are committed to abortion rights and abortion access will likely strengthen their own laws in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to let this Texas law take effect, similar to the protections that were enacted after the 2016 election," Smith said.
More than six in 10 Americans say they agree with the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's right to an abortion, according to a nationalQuinnipiac pollfrom May, a view that has remained consistent in the nearly two decades Quinnipiac has polled on the issue, it said. In 2003, Americans agreed with the Roe decision 62-35%.
Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of Whole Women's Health, which operates four clinics in Texas, told ABC News her team is not giving up the fight to ensure women in Texas have access to reproductive health care.
"At this moment we are in an unprecedented and complicated situation," she said, "but we are sure of one thing -- our values, our commitment, and what we stand for has not changed."
