Missouri, Kansas political leaders react to leaked draft of SCOTUS opinion overturning Roe v. Wade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report released Monday.

Multiple political figures from Missouri weighed in on the extremely rare breach of the court’s secretive deliberation process and on a case of surpassing importance.

ALSO READ: Leaked draft may indicate Supreme Court is overturning Roe vs. Wade: What could that mean for KS and MO?

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, attacked the leak of the document, saying it was done as a way to intimidate the SCOTUS justices before an official opinion is give.

The left continues its assault on the Supreme Court with an unprecedented breach of confidentiality, clearly meant to intimidate. The Justices mustn’t give in to this attempt to corrupt the process. Stay strong https://t.co/1Ibbe0t2I3
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) May 3, 2022

Re. Vicky Hartzler, R-Missouri, who is also running for Senate, called the leak “outrageous and dangerous.”

This leak is outrageous & dangerous.

I pray & remain hopeful #SCOTUS stays true to this potential decision, but this unprecedented, intentional leak is malicious & threatens the independence of our highest court.

Our judicial system should never be intimidated by the woke Left. https://t.co/B4ijfR1hYd
— Rep. Vicky Hartzler (@RepHartzler) May 3, 2022

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, running against Hartzler for the Senate seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Roy Blunt, tweeted “I’ve argued it in court briefings… Overturn Roe v Wade.”

Leftist don’t care about norms or rules or laws or even the Constitution — It’s all about outcomes and power.

They’ll destroy institutions and even this country for their radical beliefs.

Hold firm and fight back!
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) May 3, 2022

Rep. Billy Long, R-Missouri, stated that he hoped the document was legitimate and that the Supreme would overturn Roe v. Wade.

“I was a senior in high school when Roe v. Wade was decided. I didn’t understand abortion then, and I don’t understand it now. Killing an innocent human life is simply incomprehensible to me. I am optimistic that these reports are true, and that the Supreme Court will do the right thing, finally overturning this travesty of a decision. I have always stood up for the Right to Life, and will continue to do so.”
Rep. Billy Long

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Missouri, stated her want to codify Roe into law.

Abolish the filibuster. Codify Roe. Expand the Supreme Court. Protect abortion rights by any means necessary.

We need all of the above. This is an emergency.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) May 3, 2022

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver released a lengthy statement on what the ramifications of the opinion could be.

“Today, tens of millions of Americans woke up to the realization that a constitutional right they’ve maintained for half a century may soon be stripped from them entirely, begging the question: what next?
“If the Supreme Court ultimately makes the outrageous decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, setting women’s rights back nearly five decades, America will soon be less free, less safe, and extraordinarily more divided than at any point since Roe was first decided.
“Such a decision would not only contradict decades of legal precedent and shatter whatever confidence is left in the highest court in the land, it would, most importantly, strip women of their bodily autonomy and unquestionably lead to unnecessary deaths of young women, particularly women of color, due to forced pregnancy.
“It is important that the women of America understand this is only a draft ruling, and that reproductive freedom still exists in America—for now. If you are in need of health care services, you can still receive reproductive care while the Supreme Court hopefully reconsiders the ridiculously misguided draft opinion released last night.
“I was proud to support the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act, and I will continue to urge my colleagues in the upper chamber to immediately pass this bill to protect reproductive freedom and a woman’s right to quality reproductive care across the country.
“This potential assault on our constitution and the rights of women everywhere is so out of step with legal precedent, popular opinion, and the past statements of the justices themselves that this could only be considered a political ruling to push a partisan agenda. Failure to respond to such an egregious decision would only lead to future attacks on the civil rights that Americans hold dear.
“As we continue the fight to uphold reproductive freedom for the women of America, we should also be greatly concerned and alarmed about the status of voting rights, gay marriage, fair housing, and equitable treatment of immigrants, to name a few inalienable rights, which are now in the intensive care unit of the Supreme Court.”
Emanuel Cleaver

Republican Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer from Missouri voiced his approval of the language of the opinion.

pic.twitter.com/nkE35oYtFQ
— Blaine Luetkemeyer (@RepBlaine) May 3, 2022

And Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Missouri, demanded that SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts investigate the opinion released to Politico.

This attack on the independence of the Court cannot stand without strong and decisive action from the Chief Justice.
— Ann Wagner (@RepAnnWagner) May 3, 2022

Former Missouri Governor and current Senate candidate Eric Greitens also commented on the document leak.

“Those who leaked this Supreme Court draft opinion is trying to weaponize the court and turn the sacred institution into a political cudgel during the midterm elections. Life is precious and worthy of protection—especially the unborn who are the most vulnerable. As governor of Missouri, I called the first ever pro-life special session because we had weak, establishment RINOs who refused to protect life and defend the sanctity of life. In spite of their efforts, we passed pro-life legislation that made Missouri the safest state in the country for the unborn. That ‘Missouri Miracle’ became the blueprint for other states to introduce their own legislation.
“We can now take the miracle we made in Missouri, and turn it into an American Miracle.”
Eric Greitens

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt was encouraged by the leaked draft.

“We’re encouraged by the draft opinion, and it is consistent with the briefs we’ve submitted to the United States Supreme Court calling for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. If we’re successful and Roe v. Wade is overturned, I’m prepared to immediately issue the opinion that would protect the unborn in Missouri.”
Eric Schmitt

Several members of Congress from Kansas took to social media to share their thoughts.

If this opinion holds true, it will be a monumental step backwards. And when Kansas votes on a constitutional amendment in August, we will be the first state to decide if we agree that the government has control over women’s health care choices.

I’ll tell you this: I don’t.
— Sharice Davids (@sharicedavids) May 3, 2022

As we await the official ruling, I will continue to defend the unborn and give them a voice in the legislative process. The work to protect the unborn must be determined by the democratic process and not unelected judges.
— Senator Jerry Moran (@JerryMoran) May 3, 2022

Senator Marshall sent out a press release regarding the leak. He pointed a finger at Democrats for it.

“This is an egregious attack on the institution of the Supreme Court. For someone to leak this document and the press to be complicit in the leak undermines the legitimacy of the Supreme Court,” said Senator Marshall. “But, we shouldn’t be surprised because that’s what Democrats do all of the time when they don’t like the outcome: They don’t like the outcome of votes in the Senate so they want to get rid of the filibuster; they don’t like the outcome of the balance of power in the Senate so they want to make Puerto Rico and D.C. states; they don’t like the way the elections go so they want to federalize them and deny states’ rights to run their own elections. All the while, the media is complicit – they help them do their bidding.”
Senator Roger Marshall