“The decision is a silver lining to the dark clouds cast by two other rulings this month…”
Washington, DC –(ENEWSPF)–June 27, 2016. Today, Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-IL) issued the following statement in reaction to the announcement of a 5-3 decision against Texas House Bill 2 in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, the U.S. Supreme Court case related to a clinic shutdown law in Texas.
The decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt is a rejection of the back-handed way Texas and other states have attempted to curtail a woman’s access to basic health services. I hope and expect this further slows the highly politicized efforts by the Republican Party to attack access to contraception, abortion, and reproductive health care. As a policy strategy, attacking women’s health care is detrimental to American families and public health. As a political strategy, it is backfiring big time.
The decision is a silver lining to the dark clouds cast by two other rulings this month, the unforgiveable non-decision in the immigration case, United States v. Texas, which leaves millions of American families in immigration limbo and the unfortunate decision overturning the conviction of Gov. McDonnell of Virginia. Both of these latter decisions keep the door open to politicians using the legal process to circumvent the will of the people and the law in bewildering ways.
Whatever side you are on with regard to issues decided by this Court, a full complement of nine justices is preferable to the depleted line-up. I think everyone in the country except congressional Republicans can agree on that.
Rep. Gutiérrez represents the Fourth District of Illinois, is a Member of the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, and is the Co-Chair of the Immigration Task Force of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Source: http://www.gutierrez.house.gov
