Federal government sulks as most states celebrate abortion ruling

Some social media users have said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s Friday press conference reminded them of a bad hangover. 

“There’s no point in saying ‘good morning’ because it certainly is not one,” said Pelosi sourly as she shuffled to the podium following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling which overturned Roe v. Wade. The ruling effectively returns abortion laws to the states and out of the hands of the federal government. 

“It’s a sad day for the court and the country,” said Biden morosely on Friday, calling the decision “cruel” and vowing to fight it. “This is not over,” he challenged. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) led a crowd in chanting “This decision is illegitimate!” and “Into the streets!” 

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) to a crowd Friday. “Women are going to control their bodies no matter how they try and stop [us]. The hell with the Supreme Court. We will defy them.” 

“The Justice Department strongly disagrees with the Court’s decision,” read a statement from US Attorney General Merrick Garland. “This decision deals a devastating blow to reproductive freedom in the United States. It will have an immediate and irreversible impact on the lives of people across the country. And it will be greatly disproportionate in its effect – with the greatest burdens felt by people of color and those of limited financial means.” 

But the federal government’s behavior may unwittingly illustrate the need for the ruling, as less than half of US states share its reaction to the decision. 

According to CBS News, only sixteen states along with Washington, D.C. are preserving access to abortion, while close to 30 states currently have some form of legal restrictions on feticide.  

Thirteen states have “trigger laws”, which are laws banning abortion that have been waiting for such a ruling to take effect. These states are Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. 

Eleven other states – Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas – ban abortion after six weeks. Missouri has an eight-week ban. 

Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Kentucky all have 15-week feticide bans on the books, and four more states have 20-week bans: Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska and North Carolina. 

Some states like Montana, have been blocked in federal court from enforcing the law, though their attorneys general have still celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling. 

"These decisions, at their core, belong to the People – not judges,” said Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen in a statement. “Today is a day of celebration of the millions in our country who have faithfully, peacefully, and tirelessly fought to end this national tragedy."