The Unrig the Courts Coalition’s Statement on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Oral Arguments

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 1, 2021) — The Unrig the Courts coalition released the following statement today ahead of oral arguments:

“Today’s oral arguments on Mississippi’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy is further proof that the conservative justices at the Supreme Court are more interested in promoting a far-right extremist ideology than defending the Constitution. Mississippi’s draconian abortion ban is clearly unconstitutional under the Court’s own precedent, and the fact that this case is being heard at all shows just how far off the rails the conservative justices have gone. The radical conservative supermajority installed by Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump is set on gutting Roe v. Wade and extinguishing the constitutional right to abortion.

“In addition to today’s attack on the right to an abortion, the Supreme Court has still taken no action on S.B. 8, another obviously unconstitutional law that has blocked abortion access in Texas for 92 days. The Court’s inaction has allowed the law to remain in place, effectively banning abortions in the state and granting private citizens the right to claim bounties on people seeking abortions or doctors who provide them. We can no longer rely on the Supreme Court to be fair arbiters of justice on this issue and many others.

“Today during arguments, Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked if the Court would ‘survive the stench’ if it overturned Roe for purely political reasons. It will not. The conservative justices cannot be rehabilitated, and these attacks on our constitutional rights will not stop until we fix the Court. Congress must act, and pass the Judiciary Act to expand the Supreme Court.”

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The Unrig the Courts Coalition is a coalition of progressive organizations dedicated to structural court reforms, the most important of which is expanding the Supreme Court.

Take Back the Court raises awareness about the urgent need to expand the number of seats on the Supreme Court to address the theft of the court by Senator Mitch McConnell during the Obama Administration. Without adding seats, Congress will not be able to restore the right to vote, ensure reproductive freedom, protect workers, halt our climate emergency, or pass new legislation. Court expansion, which can be accomplished without a constitutional amendment, is the only reform that enables the un-rigging of the system and the restoration of democracy. Learn more: https://www.takebackthecourt.today/