Why Roe v. Wade Is About to Fall

Playbook: “We knew this was coming. Ever since last December’s oral arguments in the Mississippi abortion case, it seemed likely that there was a majority on the court to overrule Roe and Casey.”

“But while not a surprise, it was still shocking to see Alito’s words in black and white. The draft opinion, if it holds, would be the culmination of half a century of legal conservatives organizing around the idea that Roe was wrongly decided and needed to be reversed.”

“They have, above all else, three people to thank: (1) President George W. bush, who appointed Alito; (2) then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who blocked President Barack Obama from filling a Supreme Court vacancy; and (3) President Donald Trump, who appointed three conservative justices, all of whom seem prepared to back some version of the Alito opinion.”

“They can also thank two unusual features of the American system: (1) a Senate in which McConnell was able to gain control without Senate Republicans representing a majority of Americans, and (2) an Electoral College system in which both Bush and Trump became president despite losing the popular vote.”

Politico: 10 key passages from Alito’s draft opinion, which would overturn Roe v. Wade.