Democrats have called for the postponement of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings. That’s a good thing for reproductive rights advocates, but it’s important to stay informed on the threat posed by the nominee. Kavanaugh still has a good chance of being appointed to our nation’s highest court, and, as there’s no limit on the term of a Supreme Court justice, that would result in drastic consequences for women.
In the fall of 2017, ACLU went to court on behalf of an undocumented teenager who wanted an abortion. The woman was being kept in an immigration detention center, and U.S. government officials had repeatedly prevented her from ending her pregnancy.
Eventually, an appeals court voted to allow the woman to have an abortion. Kavanaugh dissented from the majority opinion, arguing that government officials should have been able to transfer the woman to an “adult sponsor” to provide “guidance” about her decision.
Kavanaugh has also argued that the Obama mandate protecting employees’ right to birth control violates the rights of religious organizations who don’t want to provide contraceptives as part of their employees’ health insurance.
Not surprising, coming from a Judge handpicked by President Trump.
Dawn Laguens, the executive vice president of Planned Parenthood, stated in regards to Kavanaugh that “With this nomination, the constitutional right to access safe, legal abortion in this country is on the line.”
On the other hand, March for Life, an organization that lobbies against reproductive justice, thanked Trump in a public statement for nominating Kavanaugh.
Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that with Kavanaugh’s nomination, the Supreme Court would be even more stacked against reproductive freedom. A Trumpian Supreme Court could impose serious, long lasting damage to reproductive rights.
