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Sen. Dianne Feinstein Rallies Around Planned Parenthood


President Donald Trump is expected to announce his choice for the vacancy to the Supreme Court on Monday.

Politicians from all parts of the political spectrum are gearing up for a fight, including California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who sent early warning shots Friday morning over women’s reproductive rights.

Roe vs. Wade always comes up in any judicial nomination, but as we have seen in San Francisco, contested cases over immigration and the environment also hang in the balance.

As Trump fine tunes his “wish list” of Supreme Court nominees — Circuit Court judges Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barret and Ray Kethledge reportedly made the short list — questions swirl over which one he will pick to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

“Justice Kennedy was the court’s ‘swing’ vote on protecting women, and his replacement could eviscerate women’s freedoms for generations,” Feinstein said.

Feinstein rallied around Planned Parenthood on Friday, as her concerns over protecting Roe vs. Wade clash with a recent ultimatum from the Trump administration to stop informing patients about abortion services, or lose funding.

“I refuse to be gagged, and that’s why I continue to work at Planned Parenthood,” said Jessica Dieseldorff, a longtime Planned Parenthood physician. “And Planned Parenthood will not accept a domestic gag rule.”

Adam White works as a research fellow at the right-leaning Hoover Institution. The Supreme Court and administrative law expert doubts that Roe’s 40-year-precedent is about to be overturned and made the short list.

“For all the talk of Roe v. Wade, I think it’s important to say right off the bat that I don’t think there’s going to be a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court anytime soon,” White said. “Not for a very long time, regardless of who gets nominated.”

White cites a windy legal path and the stickiness of overturning established law. Feinstein says her experience with high court judges makes her believe otherwise.

One of the points Feinstein highlighted Friday is all of the candidates the president is choosing from were vetted by very socially conservative groups. She believes they would never have made the list if they supported abortion rights.


Source: NBC Bay Area

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