Court’s decision

"This is not a victory:" Pro-choice groups are wary about the Supreme Court’s decision

From CNN's Owen Dahlkamp

Pro-choice groups have been careful not to celebrate the Supreme Court decision, instead saying that the justices’ ruling would merely delay a future decision that may restrict abortion access in emergency situations.

While these pro-choice groups were relieved that abortion access may be restored in Idaho, each pointed out the possibility that the court may rule differently in the future.

“If this were to be the final ruling, we should not celebrate it as a win,” said Beth Brinkmann, Senior Litigation Director for US Programs at the Center for Reproductive Rights. She said it “punts the issue down the road,” highlighting a similar lawsuit in Texas that challenges the state’s abortion ban in cases of medical emergencies.

Reproductive Freedom for All CEO Mini Timmaraju echoed this warning saying “This is not a victory but a delay.”

“The abortion bans that are putting people’s lives on the line in the first place will continue to remain on the books,” Timmaraju said.

“The U.S. Supreme Court had the opportunity to be clear that the federal EMTALA law protects the right to abortion in an emergency in every state … and they chose not to,” said Planned Parenthood Federation of America President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson in a statement to CNN.