Conservatives are voicing their outrage after the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law that placed restrictions on doctors who perform abortions.
In a statement on Monday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, “In an unfortunate ruling today, the Supreme Court devalued both the health of mothers and the lives of unborn children by gutting Louisiana’s policy that required all abortion procedures be performed by individuals with admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.”
She continued to argue that “states have legitimate interests in regulating any medical procedure—including abortions—to protect patient safety.”
“Instead of valuing fundamental democratic principles, unelected Justices have intruded on the sovereign prerogatives of State governments by imposing their own policy preference in favor of abortion to override legitimate abortion safety regulations,” she added.
In a 5-4 ruling, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the Court’s four liberal justices to strike down the law. The 2014 law required that doctors who perform abortions have “admitting privileges” in a hospital within 30 miles of their clinic.
Monday’s decisions mirrored a similar ruling from 2016 when the Court struck down a Texas law that also required doctors who perform abortions have admitting privileges.
Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights which represented a Shreveport-based abortion provider, responded to the ruling on Monday, “We’re relieved that the Louisiana law has been blocked today, but we’re concerned about tomorrow.”
In a statement, Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List organization, said, “Today’s ruling is a bitter disappointment.”
“Today’s ruling reinforces just how important Supreme Court judges are to advancing the pro-life cause. It is imperative that we re-elect President Trump and our pro-life majority in the U.S. Senate so we can further restore the judiciary, most especially the Supreme Court,” she added.
Dannenfelser pointed to the fact that Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — who were both appointed by Trump — dissented on the ruling to argue that the president is “keeping his promise to appoint constitutionalist Supreme Court justices.”
Monday’s ruling comes as the Supreme Court has issued a series of rulings that sparked outrage among conservatives.
Two weeks ago, the Court ruled that LGBT workers were protected from workplace discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Court also blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
After those two rulings, Trump took to Twitter to ask, “Do you get the impression that the Supreme Court doesn’t like me?”
Trump called those rulings “shotgun blasts into the face of people that are proud to call themselves Republicans or Conservatives,” and added, “We need more Justices, or we will lose our 2nd. Amendment [and] everything else.”
