Speaking at an annual anti-abortion rally in Washington, New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith expressed “fresh hope and heightened expectation” Friday that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the Roe v. Wade decision.
Anti-abortion activists who gathered in Washington for the 49th annual March for Life were looking for the six Republican-nominated justices to reverse the landmark 1973 decision, or at uphold new restrictions on abortion.
The court is considering the legality of a Mississippi law banning abortion at 15 weeks, and already has refused to overturn a Texas law banning most abortions after six weeks.
“We meet this year with fresh hope and heightened expectation that by at least affirming the Mississippi pro-life law — and perhaps going even further with Texas — the Supreme Court may soon take a powerful step towards inclusion, justice, and respect for the weakest and most vulnerable,” Smith, R-4th Dist., told the marchers on a blustery and chilly day, their numbers reduced due to the coronavirus.
“After decades of noble struggle and sacrifice, we are hopeful that government-sanctioned violence against children and the exploitation of women by abortion is nearing an end,” he said. “We are at the tipping point, and we must seize the opportunity while facing serious challenges.”
President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress support abortion rights, as do a majority of Americans. In a May 2021 Gallup poll, 80% of Americans said abortion should be legal in all or some circumstances, including a record 32% saying it should be legal under any circumstances. Only 19% favored a complete abortion ban.
Still, Senate Republicans solidified a 6-3 anti-abortion majority on the Supreme Court by refusing to let President Barack Obama fill a vacant Supreme Court seat 10 months before Election Day and then confirming President Donald Trump’s pick just one week before the next election.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” said Marie Tasy, executive director of New Jersey Right to Life. “It’s a very encouraging time for us. We are very hopeful that the Supreme Court, if they follow science, will overturn Roe v. Wade.”
Tasy said ultrasound has shifted the debate, calling it “a window into the womb.”
“We’re able to see the baby moving around,” she said. “It has changed doctors’ opinions who perform abortions. Doctors can now perform life saving surgeries on babies in the womb.”
A court decision overturning Roe v. Wade returns to the states the power to legalize or outlaw abortion. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this month signed legislation protecting abortion rights.
“It is going back to the states,” said Dominick Cuozzo, pastor of the Bible Baptist Church in New Egypt. “The fight is not over. Fighting for what is right and for the most vulnerable is never going to be over.”
Smith, in an interview before his speech, said the march won’t disappear no matter what the Supreme Court does.
“In a way the struggle for human rights for the unborn child begins now,” Smith said. “The march for life will go on. No one is talking at all that this is the end. It’s the beginning of a new struggle to protect children and their mothers.”
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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JDSalant.
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