As previously reported by REVOLT, yesterday (May 2), a draft leaked stating that five Supreme Court Justices have voted to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Today, Supreme Court Justice John Roberts has confirmed its authenticity.
According to ABC News Politics, Chief Justice Roberts will be directing the Marshal of the Court to investigate how the documents were leaked.
“This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here,” Roberts said in a statement.
This statement comes after President Biden addressed the issue this morning.
“Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned,” the president said before referring to the draft as a “radical decision” that could upend “a whole range of rights.”
President Biden issued a separate, written statement today that read in part, “At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”
In 1973, Roe v. Wade became enforced when the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction.
Yesterday, New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that the Supreme Court “isn’t just coming for abortion.”
“As we’ve warned, SCOTUS isn’t just coming for abortion — they’re coming for the right to privacy Roe rests on which includes gay marriage + civil rights,” Ocasio-Cortez shared in a tweet.
According to reports, while the draft has been determined authentic, it is not widely accepted among officials. “It does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case,” a Supreme Court spokesperson said to Politico.
The draft that would strike down Roe v. Wade — which circulated yesterday — was written by Justice Samuel Alito.