Reps. Foster, Newman slam draft opinion aiming to restrict abortion rights

Two Democratic members of Congress representing Will County slammed a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court which suggests support for overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide.

U.S. Reps. Bill Foster and Marie Newman criticized the draft opinion after news of it leaking broke Monday night.

“A right-wing SCOTUS overturning #RoevWade would be an assault on judicial precedent and the constitutional rights of women,” Foster, D-Naperville, tweeted. “It’s never been more important to elect a pro-choice Congress.”

Democrats like Newman, D-La Grange, criticized Republican lawmakers who have pushed to appoint conservative Supreme Court justices in hopes of a ruling which would restrict abortion rights.

“Make no mistake, this decision is and has always been the end goal — the party of ‘small government’ has been hell-bent on controlling the bodies and personal health decisions of women for decades,” Newman said in a statement. “It is an assault on our lives, our bodies and our freedoms.”

Newman pointed out the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill last year aiming to codify abortion rights. She called on the Senate to take action on the legislation.

Such a bill would be difficult for Democrats to pass as they narrowly control the Senate and likely won’t be able to override a Republican filibuster, which would require 60 votes.

If the final opinion, which is not expected until June or July, ends up like the leaked draft opinion, states would be able to pass their own abortion laws. Illinois state lawmakers voted to codify abortion rights protections back in 2019.

“The clock is ticking down to the end of legal abortion,” Newman said. “Until then, I want to make clear that reproductive care is still the law of the land and legal in Illinois.”