The US Supreme Court dealt a major blow to pro-life supporters Monday, by striking down a Texas law that required abortion clinics to have admitting privileges to a local hospital. But the liberal “big three” networks seemed to tout the ruling on their evening shows, some almost mocking. “Jubilation from the pro-choice side,” ABC’s George Stephanopoulos cheerfully noted on World News Tonight, before switching to a sad voice, “But despair from anti-abortion forces.”
They all reported that the law required abortion clinics to be up to a strict health and safety code, but most brushed it off as just a ploy to restrict abortions. Anchor Lester Holt did just that on NBC’s Nightly News, “Supporters said that the law simply raised health and safety standards for abortions. But the court saw it as something else.”
NBC’s Pete Williams whined about how inconvenient the law made getting an abortion, “Totally striking down a three year old Texas law that forced half the state's abortion clinics to shut down. It was so hard for Candace Russell to get an appointment, she ended up going to California for an abortion.” He also whined that many of the closed Texas clinics would never reopen.
ABC did as well with reporter Mary Bruce saying, “In a 5-3 decision, Justice Kennedy, the swing vote, joined the court's four liberals to rule that the restrictions went too far, and placed "An undue burden on their constitutional right" to an abortion.” In addition, Bruce touted that the ruling, “could call into question many other restrictions, such as a required waiting period, counseling and ultrasounds before abortions.”
None of the networks referred to Pro-Life supporters as such, they only used the term “Anti-Abortion,” or “supporters of the law.” Although, CBS was the only network to report what caused the law to be passed in the first place. “Texas passed the law in 2013 after horrific abuses came to light in the murder trial of Pennsylvania abortion Dr. Kermit Gosnell,” reported CBS’ Jan Crawford on Evening News. She would go on to say that, “they said if they had been on the books if Pennsylvania, it would have prevented the death of that patient and three infants at the clinic there.”
Even though Crawford notably referred to three of the lives lost as infants, she did echo the liberal court saying, “there was no evidence the regulations would increase safety and that if anything their impact would be harmful to, not supportive of, women's health.” An argument the left fails to make when trying to restrict actual constitutional rights.
Transcripts below:
ABC
World News Tonight
June 27, 2016
6:31:19 PM EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Good evening. We begin tonight with the most sweeping decision on abortion in a generation. Today, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law that imposed strict requirements on clinics and doctors. Finding those limits placed an undue burden on the constitutional right to abortion. And on the steps of the Supreme Court, you see it there. Activists squared off. Jubilation from the pro-choice side. But despair from anti-abortion forces. Because this ruling could affect so much of the country. At least two dozen states have passed laws similar to those struck down today. ABC's Mary Bruce is in Washington with the dramatic decision and its resounding consequences.
[Cuts to video]
MARY BRUCE: At the Supreme Court today, chants of victory from abortion rights advocates.
PROTESTERS: Abortion care won't go away! We fought for it, it's here to stay!
BRUCE: The crowd cheering as interns raced out, carrying the most consequential abortion decision in a quarter of a century. Many of these people have been here since before dawn, making sure they were here to witness this historic decision. The court striking down a Texas law that required abortion providers have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. And that clinics meet standards for surgical centers. Requirements that have already forced more than half of Texas abortion clinics to close and threatened half of those still open. In a 5-3 decision, Justice Kennedy, the swing vote, joined the court's four liberals to rule that the restrictions went too far, and placed "An undue burden on their constitutional right" to an abortion.
PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS: We are the pro-life generation!
BRUCE: Disappointed, the law's supporters say women's health will now be at risk.
KRISTAN HAWKINS: This means every time women walk into an abortion facility in our nation, she's going to have to wonder, will I be coming out alive?
BRUCE: The implications stretch far beyond Texas. About two dozen states have similar laws.
KATE SHAW: Many states have restrictions like Texas's and I think that those are quite likely unconstitutional after today's ruling.
BRUCE: And the decision could call into question many other restrictions, such as a required waiting period, counseling and ultrasounds before abortions.
[Cuts back to live]
STEPHANOPOULOS: And Mary joins us from the Supreme Court right now. Mary, you know, the future of the Supreme Court, right at the heart of the presidential campaign. You've got that vacancy left by the death of Justice Scalia and perhaps more to come.
BRUCE: Yeah, this decision underscores what’s at stake here in this election. Clinton tweeting today, "This fight isn't over. The next president has to protect women's rights." And Donald Trump has been noticeably absent from commenting on today's ruling. George?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah, uncharacteristic silence. Mary, thanks very much.
...
NBC
Nightly News
June 27, 2016
7:01:21 PM EasternLESTER HOLT: Good evening, the U.S. Supreme court has issued the most significant ruling on abortion in 25 years. Delivering a stunning rebuke to the state of Texas for a law that imposes some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the nation. Supporters said that the law simply raised health and safety standards for abortions. But the court saw it as something else. And tonight its ruling is reverberating across a dozen other states. NBC News justice correspondent Pete Williams has details.
[Cuts to video]
PETE WILLIAMS: A big cheer outside the court as the decision was announced in one of the nation's most divisive legal issues. Totally striking down a three year old Texas law that forced half the state's abortion clinics to shut down. It was so hard for Candace Russell to get an appointment, she ended up going to California for an abortion.
CANDACE RUSSELL: Because there was an influx of patients coming in from around the state where clinics have closed, there was a wait time.
WILLIAMS: With Justice Anthony Kennedy joining the four liberals the 5-3 vote said the Texas law imposed obstacles on a woman's right of access to an abortion without any medical benefits. The law said abortion clinics must meet the same medical instruction standards as walk in surgical centers, but the court says that makes no sense for the largest number of women whose abortions require taking only pills, not surgery. 12 other states have adopted similar restrictions some now on hold. Today’s ruling means they're now in trouble.
NANCY NORTHUP: I think it's a total smackdown, it shows that Texas and these other states have really tried to sneak around the constitution.
WILLIAMS: When the law was passed, the number of abortion clinics in Texas dropped from 42 to 19 in one of the largest and most populous states. Despite victory many of them will never reopen.
REBECCA ROBERTSON: Sometimes it take years to rebuild the access we had before the law was passed. I would expect the same is true here.
PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS: We deserve better. Abortion hurts women.
WILLIAMS: For those opposed to abortion, the ruling is a blow to their strategy for pushing for restrictions on clinics and doctors instead of patients.
JENNIFER POPIK: While we are disappointed, we're going to take this and we're going to go back and we’re going to buckle down and we’re going to work on different approaches.
[Cuts back to live]
WILLIAMS: Also today, the court unanimously struck down the bribery conviction of former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell. It can be tried again, but the ruling makes it harder to prosecute him and other public officials for corruption.
...
CBS
Evening News
June 27, 2016
6:31:16 PM EasternCHARLIE ROSE: The Supreme Court closed its term today with a major decision affirming abortion rights. The court overturned strict regulations that Texas imposed on abortion clinics in the name of safety. The majority found those rules unconstitutionally limit a woman's right to an abortion. Jan Crawford is at the Supreme Court.
[Cuts to video]
JAN CRAWFORD: Abortion rights supporters erupted with cheers. As the court announced the ruling, the most significant abortion case in a decade. The 5-3 decision deeply divided the justices and turned on the vote of moderate Justice Anthony Kennedy, who cast a decisive vote with liberals, striking down the restrictive Texas law.
The law required clinics to be like ambulatory surgical centers and said clinic doctors must have admitting privileges at local hospitals. Abortion rights supporters said those restrictions would cut the number of clinics in Texas by half, to less than ten, in a state with 60 to 72,000 abortions per year. Texas passed the law in 2013 after horrific abuses came to light in the murder trial of Pennsylvania abortion Dr. Kermit Gosnell. 12 other states passed similar laws, saying they were necessary to protect women.
Those laws are also affected by the decision. Which said there was no evidence the regulations would increase safety and that if anything their impact would be harmful to, not supportive of, women's health. “Texas seeks to force women to travel long distances to get abortion in crammed-to-capacity superfacilities where they are less likely to get individualized attention,” wrote Justice Stephen Breyer. And, “find that quality of care declines.” Nancy Northup he president of the Center for Reproductive Rights hailed the decision as a game changer.
NANCY NORTHUP: And we will go forward in making sure that all of the laws that are blocking women's access to the constitutional rights will be overturned.
CRAWFORD: But Carrie Severino, head of the conservative Judicial Confirmation Network said the decision was based on politics.
CARRIE SEVERINO: This court has been so clear in their political leanings on this issue that I can't imagine an abortion regulation that they would uphold at this point. That's unfortunate.
[Cuts back to live]
CRAWFORD: Now the three dissenting justices called the ruling indefensible and said the court rewrote legal rules to reach today's result. They said these laws were intended to shut down unsafe clinics, Charlie, and they said if they had been on the books if Pennsylvania, it would have prevented the death of that patient and three infants at the clinic there.
