NEW YORK (Dagbladet): The leak of US Supreme Court documents has rocked the country since Monday. The document, written by Conservative Judge Samuel Alito, shows that the majority of judges want to reject the Supreme Court’s decision Roe v. Wade. Since 1973, he has guaranteed Americans the right to self-determined abortions. If this is rejected, states are free in principle to ban abortion.

On Tuesday, there were demonstrations both in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington DC and many other places in the United States. Many were deeply shaken and shocked that a dish that had been around for almost 50 years might fall.

It all came after the previous US president, Donald Trump, was allowed to appoint three judges and thus swung the US Supreme Court sharply in a conservative direction. Two more moderate Republican senators and women were instrumental in getting the three approved. And now Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski are under tremendous pressure.

Critics claim that they were fooled by Supreme Court nominees during the trial.

– Totally inconsistent

Both were disappointed on Tuesday.

“If the leaked documents were final, and the coverage was correct, it would be completely inconsistent with what Judges Gorsuch and Judge Kavanaugh said at their trial and in our meetings in my office,” Collins said in a statement. statement.

Abortion leaks: Hard on the Supreme Court

She said she supported the right to self-determined abortion. However, she voted in favor of Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch – even though most others, both conservative and liberal, thought they would vote to abolish abortion rights. Collins later voted against approving Trump’s third candidate, Amy Coney Barrett.

Kavanaugh was approved by 51-49 votes. Collins has repeatedly claimed that he was confident that Kavanaugh would not turn down Roe v. Wade.

“I don’t think Brett Kavanaugh will turn down Roe v. Wade,” he said CNN in 2018.

– Emphasis is not

CNN asked him Tuesday if he felt cheated by Kavanaugh.

“My statement speaks for itself,” replied Collins.

He had conversations with him and Gorsuch before he voted to agree to both in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

– When I asked him if it was enough to reject the long-standing precedent if the current five judges thought it was the wrong decision. He firmly said no, Collins said of Gorsuch, according to Washington Post.

– Low self-confidence

Senator Murkowski is also under pressure in defence.

– If it goes in the direction the leaked documents suggest, I have to say it weakens my confidence in the courts, he said, according to Hill.

She claims that the judges she chose to approve clearly stated that they saw the right to self-determined abortion as an established right, and that they gave her the impression that they had no plans to abolish it.

– They gave statements to me and others that Roe v. Wade has settled and precedes the current, Murkowski said.

Confirming that the document is genuine

– Lie

He did not support Kavanaugh’s approval, but he voted for Barrett just before Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. Both Murkowski and Collins voted to approve Gorsuch.

Democrats in Congress, led by Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Chair Nancy Pelosi, stated outright that they believed Conservative judges were lying to Congress.

“Several conservative Supreme Court justices, who are completely irresponsible to the American people, have lied to the Senate, tore up the constitution and destroyed the current practice and reputation of the Supreme Court,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a statement. joint statement.