The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Supreme Court abortion ruling triggers firestorm
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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*
*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.
BREAKING NEWS
Well, it’s official. The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade:
The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade this morning, eliminating the 50-year-old constitutional right to abortion.
Does that mean abortion is outlawed?: It means that each state can decide whether to limit or criminalize abortion procedures.
The case that led to this outcome — Dobbs v. Jackson: “The ruling upholds Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, which directly clashed with Roe’s requirement that states permit abortion up to the point of fetal viability, around 24 weeks.”
Read the official Supreme Court opinion
How Chief Justice John Roberts handled the case: “Chief Justice Roberts writes separately to say that he believes the majority went too far … but he still concurs in the judgment.” (Tweet from CBS’s Steven Portnoy)
From the opinion: “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” (Page one of the opinion)
The last line of liberal justices’ dissent: “With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent.” (From page 207 of the opinion)
➤THE BIG QUESTION — WHAT HAPPENS NOW?:
Via The Hill’s Sarakshi Rai, “In practice, that is likely to dramatically change the legal landscape for obtaining an abortion across the country, creating a patchwork of laws from state to state. Here’s a list of state laws that will quickly come into place
‘Abortion will soon be banned in 13 states. Here’s which could be next.’: Here’s a map from The Washington Post
IT’S AN INTENSE FRIDAY IN D.C. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
🏛 Reactions to the Supreme Court opinion
Watch the moment the opinion came out: Video from CNN’s Whitney Wild
Demonstrations have formed outside the Supreme Court: Photo from The Hill’s Emily Brooks
Livestream outside the Supreme Court
MSNBC columnist Emma Gray tweeted: “Just thinking about every dude who told me I was overreacting in 2016.”
From former Vice President Mike Pence: “By returning the question of abortion to the states and to the people, this Supreme Court has righted a historic wrong and reaffirmed the right of the American people to govern themselves at the state level in a manner consistent with their values and aspirations.” (Via The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman)
From Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): “What this means to women is such an insult. It’s a slap in the face to women about their own judgment to make their own decisions about their reproductive freedom.” Photo from NBC’s Scott Wong Video of Pelosi choking up
^ Pelosi also said: “There’s no point in saying good morning because it certainly is not.” (Via Punchbowl’s Jake Sherman)
Check out the banners on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CNBC: Screenshot from The Hill’s Niall Stanage
A group of House Democrats marched across the street to the Supreme Court: Video from Punchbowl’s Max Cohen
‘Here is where you can still get an abortion, despite Roe v. Wade being struck down’: “There are at least eight states that have protective abortion policies, offering legal abortions until fetal viability around 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy.” From The Hill’s Shirin Ali
Facts to know about abortion: For example, more than half of abortions happen through medication. Four more abortion-related facts
✔️In Congress
Wow, the first gun bill to pass the Senate since 1994:
The Senate passed a bipartisan gun bill Thursday evening after weeks of negotiations following mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y.
The vote: 65-33
How much Republican support was there?: 15 Republican senators voted “yes.”
Are any hiccups expected?: Not really. The bill should easily pass in the House, and President Biden is expected to sign it.
🔥 Jan. 6
Thursday’s testimony was like watching a dramatic HBO docuseries:
“The first phase of the public hearings into the Jan. 6 hearings ended on Thursday, with dramatic testimony focused on the efforts by former President Trump and his allies to pressure the Department of Justice.”
The gist of the hearings so far: “They haven’t fundamentally altered the electoral landscape — but nobody really expected they would. Yet they have been compelling enough to surpass expectations, hold the attention of much of the public and cause new problems for Trump.”
How the hearings have sharpened the dangers for Trump, via The Hill’s Niall Stanage
If you missed the hearing: Here’s the full video of Thursday’s testimony
➤ TIDBITS:
The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman noted: “Have heard from several former Trump advisers acknowledging this testimony is quite grim.”
Spotted at the hearing: Actor Sean Penn. Photo from CNN’s Manu Raju
➤ FIVE TAKEAWAYS:
1. At least four GOP House members asked Trump to be pardoned.
2. “The asks of the Justice Department ranged from bizarre to inappropriate.”
3. “Trump was increasingly desperate as Jan. 6 approached.”
4. DOJ leaders worried that Trump might try to install a loyalist as attorney general, so they rallied together to prevent that.
5. “New figure emerges linking Trump’s campaign lawyer to internal DOJ scheme.”
Explainers for each, via The Hill’s Harper Neidig, Rebecca Beitsch and Mike Lillis
🦠 Latest with COVID
➤ BY THE NUMBERS
Cases to date: 86.5 million
Death toll: 1,010,089
Current hospitalizations: 25,212
Shots administered: 593 million
Fully vaccinated: 66.9 percent of Americans
🐥Notable tweets
I would love to have a drink with this lady and hear her stories:
Overheard District tweeted a conversation that took place at a liquor store in Chevy Chase “Brand Promoter: ‘Hello ma’am, would you like to try a sample of our new whiskey?’ Late-60s woman in Chanel and excessive jewelry: ‘Dear, if I wanted to drink cheap whiskey out of a plastic cup I’d still be married to my third husband.’”
⏱On tap
The House is in. The Senate has left for a two-week recess. President Biden is in Washington, D.C. Vice President Harris is in Illinois this afternoon.
9:30 a.m.: Biden received the President’s Daily Brief.
9:45 a.m.: Harris left for Plainfield, Ill.
10:15 a.m.: First House votes of the day. Today’s House agenda
12:45 p.m.: Last House votes.
12:55 p.m.: Harris meets with maternal health care providers.
3:40 p.m.: Harris speaks at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials 39th Annual Conference in Chicago.
6:25 p.m.: Harris returns to Washington, D.C.
Saturday: Biden travels to Germany for a Group of Seven summit.
June 28: Biden travels to Madrid for a NATO meeting.
July 11: The Senate returns. The Senate’s pro forma schedule
All times Eastern.
📺What to watch
10:45 a.m.: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a briefing. Timing: This was soon after the Supreme Court abortion opinion. Livestream
2 p.m.: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing. Livestream
🍬 In lighter news
Today is National Praline Day. Saturday is National Catfish Day and Sunday is National Chocolate Pudding Day.
And to get your first weekend of the summer off on the right foot, here are two equally athletic, equally capable dogs in a water park.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
