Congressman Fred Upton So Far Not Joining Abortion Challenge

Only one Michigan Republican member of the US House of Representatives is failing to sign a court brief in a key abortion rights case before the US Supreme Court.  All indications are that 6th District GOP Congressman Fred Upton who serves SW Michigan won’t be signing the court brief. The Communications Director for Congressman Upton has so far, not responded to a direct question about the issue.

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3rd District Republican Peter Meijer who represents Calhoun County is supporting the abortion challenge. So are all the remaining 5 Republicans representing Michigan in the US House.

The case originates from Mississippi. The US Supreme Court is agreeing to hear the case surrounding that state’s law banning abortions after 15 weeks.

The so-called amicus brief spells out the essence of the Republican support for the case. It reads in part, “Mississippi’s case provides the Court a chance to release its vise grip on abortion politics. As Congress and the States have shown that they are ready and able to address the issue in ways that reflect Americans’ varying viewpoints and are grounded in the science of fetal development and maternal health.”

Conventional wisdom leans toward the potential of states being allowed to set their own guidance over abortion procedures should the US Supreme Court rule to overturn the highly controversial Roe v Wade decision that allowed legal widespread abortions to begin. Governors of 12 states are also submitting a court brief in the case, adding their substantial political weight to the issue.

The Michigan Advance reports there is significant pushback to the potential overturning of Roe v Wade. The Advance quotes Alexis McGill Johnson, President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, who claims public sentiment runs contrary to overturning the landmark case. “If it wasn’t already clear, these Republican governors and members of Congress have laid it out for us: They want to ban abortion outright. This is deeply out of the step with the American public — 80% of whom support access to safe, legal abortion. And at a time when COVID-19 cases are back on the rise across the country, it’s immoral and irresponsible that these elected officials continue to prioritize blocking access to essential health care over the safety of their citizens.”