KEY POINTS

  • Trump appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court while he was president
  • McConnell had refused to hold hearings for Obama-nominated Merrick Garland to replace the late Justice Scalia
  • Democrats will hold a vote next week to codify Roe v. Wade

A Florida Democrat on Thursday said former President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are to blame if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade decision.

"Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are responsible for what's going on right now," Rep. Lois Frankel told The Business Insider in a phone interview. "Mitch McConnell refused, would not allow an Obama appointee on the court, and Donald Trump appointed three justices who are overturning Roe v. Wade. So hip hip hooray for them."

During his time as president, Trump appointed conservative justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, leading to a slew of new restrictive abortion bills nationwide.

In 2016, McConnell refused to hold hearings for Merrick Garland, who then-outgoing President Barack Obama had nominated to replace late Justice Antonin Scalia. McConnell kept the seat open until after Trump won the 2016 election. The seat was later filled by Gorsuch.

Frankel is one of the representatives who sponsored the Women's Health Protection Act of 2021. Under the bill, the government is prohibited from restricting access to abortion services. The bill passed in the House last year but remains stalled in the Senate. Frankel said she is unsure whether the Senate will move forward with the bill should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.

The Florida Democrat’s comment comes after a draft majority opinion written by Supreme Court’s Associate Justice Samuel Alito that could end nationwide abortion rights was leaked. If the decision is successfully overturned, states in the U.S. would be given the authority to either restrict or ban access to abortion.

In response to the leak, hacking collective Anonymous threatened retaliation should the Supreme Court repeal the landmark decision. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., also announced that they will force a vote next week on a legislation that will codify Roe v. Wade. Codifying the landmark decision would guarantee a person’s right to abortion in all 50 U.S. states.

Abortion-right and anti-abortion advocates have also continuously held demonstrations outside the Supreme Court, forcing federal workers to install higher fences around the building late Wednesday.

Students and others protest for abortion rights in Union Square, after the leak of a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito preparing for a majority of the court to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision later this year
Students and others protest for abortion rights in Union Square, after the leak of a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito preparing for a majority of the court to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision later this year, in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U. Reuters / MIKE SEGAR
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