Senate Democrats allegedly try to discredit the United States Supreme Court's Justices for not giving them what they want, particularly not blocking the Texas Heartbeat Act.
CBN News reported that Democratic Party of the Senate Judiciary Committee alleged the Supreme Court advanced the political agenda of pro-lifers by using the shadow docket last September when it ruled not to decide on the said law's constitutionality but only on the emergency petition filed by Planned Parenthood through the American Civil Liberties Union.
As per CBN News, shadow docket decisions involve foregoing hearing oral arguments when it comes to arriving at the Court's summary decisions and orders. The Court rejected Planned Parenthood's petition that led to the Texas Heartbeat Act or Senate Bill 8 being implemented on September 1 as scheduled when it was signed by Governor Greg Abbott into law last May. The law has become very controversial for it bans abortion on pregnancies six weeks above where a fetal heartbeat has been detected.
The Senate Judiciary Committee launched a hearing on the controversial law last week entitled, "Texas' Unconstitutional Abortion Ban and Role of the Shadow Docket." Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin raised in the said hearing that the Supreme Court abused its power by using the shadow docket that has led millions of Americans being stripped of their "constitutional rights."
"We now have two new dangerous precedents to contend with. First, with SB8 Texas has created a model to undermine Constitutional rights by using bounty hunter enforcement schemes. Second, the Supreme Court has now shown it's willing to allow even facially unconstitutional laws to take effect when the law is aligned with certain ideological preferences." Durbin said.
But Texas Senator John Cornyn pointed out that the he observed the Democrats' holding of hearing was intended to malign and "harass" the Supreme Court who can not defend itself being an independent body of the United States government.
"Really a shame on the part of our Democratic colleagues to attack judicial independence," Cornyn highlighted.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley supported Cornyn's observations and rebutted allegations on the Democrats' claims that the Supreme Court was advancing a particular political party's agenda. Grassley said the actions of the Supreme Court was "very ordinary" in line with their judiciary work.
Major pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List called out the Democrats on their "attack" of the Texas Heartbeat Act through the hearing. The group said the fact remains the Texas Heartbeat Act has been saving lives since its implementation.
"While out of touch Washington Democrats hold a hearing today attacking Texas for their law protecting babies with a heartbeat...3,696 children are still alive today since the law took effect (Sep. 1), per @LozierInstitute analysis. That's enough kids to fill 82 school buses," SBA List said in Twitter.
Similarly, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins highlighted during an interview with CBN News "Faith Nation" the irony in what the Democrats are claiming against the Supreme Court after taking advantage of the said justice system for years to serve their own party's interest. Perkins pointed out that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's statements to codify Roe v. Wade into law through the Women's Health Protection Act proves that abortion is simply something "on demand" from Supreme Court intervention.
"Now here's the kicker: It's an admission that abortion on demand was never the law of the land, it was invented by the Court. So now that we have a constitutionalist majority on the Court, we're looking at this again. So I just find this very interesting that those that have used the Court for so long to do their legislating, they're now complaining," Perkins said.
