Senator Chuck Schumer spoke Wednesday at a rally in front of the Supreme Court to address the case June Medical Services v. Russo. The case involves an abortion provider who is challenging a Louisiana state law from 2014 which requires abortion providers to have admitting privileges in a hospital within 30 miles of the facility which provides the abortions. Essentially, the Louisiana medical facility is upset that Louisiana wants to protect patients by giving them the ability to be checked into a hospital reasonably distanced from the abortion clinic if a woman needs urgent care.
Opponents of the law, such as June Medical Services, argue abortion providers shouldn’t have to have to admitting privileges in nearby hospitals. The Center for Reproductive Rights states, “abortion is extremely safe.” What does Chuck Schumer believe he has to add to the conversation and public case? “I want to tell you Gorsuch and I want to tell you, Kavanaugh…You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price” a video of the event caught Schumer threatening. He continued, “you won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”
Chief Justice John Roberts replied to Schumer’s heated remarks in a well-crafted statement which read:
“This morning Senator Schumer spoke at a rally in front of the Supreme Court while a case was being argued inside. Senator Schumer referred to two Members of the Court by name and said he wanted to tell them that ‘You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.’ Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous. All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”
Now those are words of a true leader. Schumer’s camp continued the petty rhetoric and did not back down when spokesman Justin Goodman told the Daily Caller News Foundation: “Women’s health care rights are at stake and Americans from every corner of the country are in anguish about what the court might do to them.” Goodman also defended Schumer’s remarks saying there was no threat. The “will pay” comment was simply “a warning that the justices will unleash major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision.”
As two men, Chuck Schumer and Justin Goodman, make an emotional plea as though they are actors on a stage, demanding all they are concerned for is women’s rights, perhaps they should read the case first. At the heart of June Medical Services v. Russo is that those who provide abortions must also have admitting privileges in a hospital within 30 miles from where the abortion will take place. There is no agenda in this entire case which does not attempt to protect women and their lives.
Schumer, it is you and your colleagues that need to look around and ask yourselves “why are abortion advocates so much in favor of abortion, that they don’t even care if women have access to a hospital in the event of a medical emergency?” Who are the real women’s advocates in this scenario? Clearly not Schumer or the Center for Reproductive Rights.
