Hillary Clinton sounds alarm after Supreme Court hearing on emergency abortion care

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday warned access to abortion care could be further imperiled after oral arguments in a Supreme Court case over an Idaho law restricting abortion.

The court appeared skeptical about whether a federal law ensuring access to lifesaving care included access to abortion care, when necessary, though the justices were split by both ideology and gender.

“The MAGA Supreme Court majority appears ready to rule that the right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ doesn’t extend to women with pregnancy complications or who otherwise need abortions,” Clinton wrote on the social platform X. “This is horrifying, and it is because of Donald Trump.”

Democrats have focused on abortion rights as a political rallying cry for the 2024 race. Abortion ballot measures are planned for multiple swing states, and a recent controversy over abortion access in Arizona has brought that state more into play.

In a second post, Clinton shared an image that stated Arizona’s time zone was “1864,” in reference to a state Supreme Court ruling that implemented a 160-year-old abortion restriction law. State lawmakers agreed to overturn the 1864 law on Wednesday after three attempts.

“We won’t allow our daughters and granddaughters to grow up with fewer rights than we had,” Clinton said.

The Supreme Court case centers on an Idaho law that outlaws offering abortion care under all circumstances except when a woman’s life is in danger. The Biden administration sued the state over the law, claiming it goes against the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA).  

Doctors face up to five years in prison for violating Idaho’s law.  

EMTALA requires federally funded hospitals to provide stabilizing care to emergency room patients, no matter their ability to pay. 

The court is expected to decide the Idaho case by June.