U.S. Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade, Ending Federal Right to Abortion
The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that has protected abortion rights nationwide for half a century, allowing individual states to ban or restrict pregnancy terminations.The court overturned Roe by a 5-4 vote. Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote the opinion (PDF), joined by Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Chief Justice John Roberts filed a separate, concurring opinion.“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion,” Alito wrote in the decision. “The authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.”President Joe Biden described the decision as a “tragic error by the Supreme Court,” in remarks from the White House after the ruling. While the president noted that only Congress can restore a national…