Barrett sidesteps Dianne Feinstein’s abortion questions early in hearings

Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday sidestepped questions from California Sen. Dianne Feinstein about whether she thought Roe v. Wade was “wrongly decided.”

Feinstein’s questions, part of a series of questions on abortion, kicked off the Democrats’ grilling of Barrett. After Barrett refused to answer if she thought her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia, was right to say that Roe was wrongly decided, citing her position as a sitting judge, Feinstein pressed her on the subject.

“On something that is a major cause with major effects on over half the population of this country, who are women, it is distressing not to get a straight answer,” Feinstein said. “Let me try again: Do you agree with Justice Scalia’s view that it was wrongly decided?”

Barrett replied that she had “no agenda” but would not answer the question because of her legal position. Feinstein continued to press her. Barrett eventually said that she would “follow the law” in any abortion case that came before her.

Feinstein’s questions concerned not only Roe but also the 1994 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which reaffirmed the original 1973 decision. The Supreme Court this past summer heard a challenge to Casey in which it upheld abortion law. Chief Justice John Roberts was the deciding vote, leading many anti-abortion activists to say that they could not achieve abortion victories without another conservative on the Supreme Court.

Feinstein notably clashed with Barrett during her 2017 confirmation to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying that it was concerning that the “dogma” of Barrett’s Catholic faith “lives loudly within you.”

Tags: News, Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court, Senate Democrats, Abortion, Roe v. Wade, Senate, Dianne Feinstein

Original Author: Nicholas Rowan

Original Location: ‘I will follow the law’: Barrett sidesteps Dianne Feinstein’s abortion questions early in hearings