Abortion takes center stage on the campaign trail
Democratic presidential candidates push abortion rights agendas as Southern states pass strict legislation challenging Roe v. Wade; reaction and analysis from the 'Special Report' All-Stars.
Alabama's new abortion law and other states' pending measures are examples of "emboldened" Republican-majority legislatures in the wake of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh taking his place on the Supreme Court, according to Marc Thiessen.
George W. Bush's former speechwriter added that GOP opposition to Obama administration policies led to a resurgence of Republican majorities in state capitols during his time in the White House.
"Republican legislatures have been passing laws restricting abortion for over a decade now because, during the Obama years, Republicans had an unprecedented takeover of state legislatures," he said on "Special Report."
ALABAMA GOVERNOR SIGNS RESTRICTIVE ABORTION BILL INTO LAW AS ACLU VOWS TO SUE
However, Thiessen clarified that, even with the new conservative majority on the Supreme Court, he doesn't see the nation's highest bench taking up legislation that would challenge the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the GOP-majority state legislature's bill into law Wednesday.
"You [elect] pro-life governors and you elect pro-life legislative supermajorities, they're going to pass pro-life laws," Thiessen told "Special Report."
"The difference is, they were... doing an incrementalist approach because they knew Anthony Kennedy was going to strike down anything they did. Now, you've got Brett Kavanaugh on the court, and they're becoming emboldened and putting off this incrementalist approach."
Thiessen continued, saying the Supreme Court does not have to take up all of the cases presented to it. "If a federal judge says [a pro-life state law] is unconstitutional, [the Supreme Court] can choose not to do it."
He also said he believes the Supreme Court does not want to re-litigate Roe v. Wade, "and they are not going to be forced to by a state."
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