Senators argue over Supreme Court’s decision on Texas abortion law
Some members of Congress accused the United States Supreme Court of playing politics by letting the ban on most abortions in Texas stand.
Democrats in a Senate judiciary hearing said that decision was an abuse of the court’s "shadow docket" process.
It allows the high court to rule quickly without hearing arguments or explaining the ruling.
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Republicans who support the court’s ruling said it would have been unusual for justices to block the law.
Wednesday’s hearing then saw arguments for and against the new abortion law.
EXPLAINER: What to know about Texas' abortion law
"Women’s ability to pursue education and employment opportunities has been greatly enhanced by the ability to have autonomy over their own bodies, something that men enjoy despite the fact that they share 50% of the responsibility for the pregnancy but often time 0% of the consequences," said State Rep. Donna Howard, a Democrat from Austin.
"So, let’s not dress this up in clinic terms that make it sound like something it is not. We are talking about the taking of unborn human life, innocent life, the life of a being that has a right to exist, the life of a being that would cry out in pain if it had the capacity to do so," said U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah.
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The Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this month did not decide whether the law is constitutional.
It bans abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected at about six weeks, which is before most women know they’re pregnant.
It is enforced by private citizens who can sue anyone they think is violating the law.
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