The reversal of Roe

 

May 7, 2022

Late Monday night, we learned from a leaked draft opinion obtained by Politico the staggering news that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. The magnitude of this leak and its potential implications have shaken us. We’re deeply concerned about the impact the ruling will have on equal protection, bodily autonomy, and privacy if it is in fact made final. The Constitution Project at POGO’s newsletter Sidebar reflected on the leak this week: We have not often spoken on abortion. In part, this was because Roe v. Wade was settled law. In part, it was because we tried to bridge divides between the political parties, and abortion was one of the issues where that was most difficult. But the core of our work has been to promote a reading of the Constitution that prioritizes people, something that the Supreme Court all too often fails to do. In our vision, the Constitution shields the American people from abuse and discrimination, empowers them to participate in democracy, and ensures that government institutions are accountable to them. It’s difficult to predict what the repercussions of the reversal of Roe will be. It’s something we are certain to continue processing through our work for the months to come. In the words of our colleagues at The Constitution Project, we remain committed to safeguarding — not removing — hard-earned constitutional protections. Subscribe to Sidebar for insights from The Constitution Project at POGO, delivered to your inbox every Thursday. More on Privacy: This week on The Continuous Action, Walt Shaub and Virginia Heffernan speak to surveillance experts, including POGO’s own Jake Laperruque, on the jeopardized state of our privacy and the past and future of government surveillance. Listen now. ANALYSIS Financial Regulator Flexes Its Weakness A disciplinary action against a former KPMG vice chair shows that the board that polices corporate auditors remains a weak enforcer of its own rules. Read More LETTER Promoting Judicial Ethics with the 21st Century Courts Act The Supreme Court needs ethics reform. The 21st Century Courts Act is an important step forward. Read More PODCAST Episode 3: The Eyes On Your Face Walt and Virginia grapple with government surveillance, focusing in particular on facial recognition technology and the ways that the government could — and already does — abuse this technology. Listen Now QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The events of this week certainly encapsulate lots of concerns about the court’s politicization. But the court’s politicization is also a much larger and longer-term issue.” David Janovsky, Analyst at The Constitution Project at POGO, in the Washington Times OVERHEARD ONE LINERS “‘Military grade’ to a veteran is an understanding that this object made the minimum standards for ruggedness, based on the military’s standards, and it was made by the lowest bidder. What you knew about it was that: Yeah, it worked, but there were much better products out there.” Dan Grazier, Senior Defense Policy Fellow, in Task and Purpose   “[The settlement is] the kind of thing that helps fuel this public perception that there are two systems of justice: one for the everyman and another for the rich and powerful.” Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy, in the Daily Beast   “There’s a lot of really good stuff [in the new guidance on infrastructure funds] and I’m extremely happy that the White House is trying to incorporate some of the lessons learned on some of the COVID-19 spending [and] avoid some of the missteps that were made.” Sean Moulton, Senior Policy Analyst, in Roads and Bridges   “Theoretically, [Rep. Madison Cawthorn] could be in violation of three distinct sets of rules. 1. Insider trading laws; 2. STOCK Act periodic transaction reporting requirements; 3. House rules around avoiding the appearance of impropriety.” Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Government Affairs Manager, in the Washington Examiner

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

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