Republicans are poised to accomplish their longtime goal of overturning Roe v. Wade, but they seem angrier than ever.
A leaked draft opinion shows the U.S. Supreme Court has voted to strike down the landmark abortion rights ruling, but instead of celebrating, GOP lawmakers have lashed out at the leaker and called for a criminal investigation into the matter, reported Politico, which first broke the news.
“I don’t know who did it, their motives,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). “I don’t care what your motives were, you did a lot of damage to our country and I don’t know if we can repair this, but we’ll try.”
Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the draft was authentic, although he made clear it was not finalized, and ordered the marshal of the Supreme Court to investigate, but Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans have suggested a left-leaning clerk or justice leaked the document to publicly pressure the court to preserve at least some portions of Roe.
“This lawless action should be investigated and punished as fully as possible,” McConnell said in a statement. “The Chief Justice must get to the bottom of it and the Department of Justice must pursue criminal charges if applicable.”
“One of the court’s most essential and sacred features was smashed just to buy the outrage-industrial complex a few extra days to scream nonsense about what the court might rule,” McConnell added.
Sens. Mike Braun, Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley and Mitt Romney all called for the matter to be investigated and the leaker punished, even if some of them publicly cheered the ruling written by Justice Samuel Alito.
"[It was] voluminously researched, tightly argued, and morally powerful," Hawley said.
IN OTHER NEWS: Life without Roe: How overturning abortion ruling may impact foster care, maternal mortality and infant mortality
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) called for the Biden administration to investigate, although Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) publicly wondered what law the leaker broke.
“We’re about to find out what our Department of Justice is made of,” Kennedy said. “We have had an unprecedented leak. As despicable as it is dangerous.”