U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis said Wednesday she would like to see a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of a Mississippi abortion ban, calling the case a “pivotal moment for our country.”
The court heard arguments on Wednesday regarding Mississippi’s abortion ban, which does not allow abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy except in extreme circumstances, such as a medical emergency, according to NBC News.
“This is a pivotal moment for our country and I continue to pray for a pro-life decision and for both mothers and the unborn,” Lummis said. “Early in my legal career, I worked with birth mothers who were giving their babies up for adoption. It was an honor to help support birth mothers in facilitating adoptions, and seeing the look on adoptive parents’ faces as they held their child for the first time.
“I think it’s important to also note what a pro-life decision in (the Mississippi case) would not do. It would not ban all abortions,” Lummis continued. “The life of the mother would still be protected. A pro-life decision … would protect both the mother and her unborn child, and would assert to the world that we, as a nation, value life.”
NBC News reported that a majority of the Supreme Court’s conservative justices suggested they were prepared to discard the court’s previous standard set forth in Roe vs. Wade, which prevented states from banning abortion before a fetus becomes viable, which is generally considered to be at about 24 weeks into a pregnancy.
However, the three more liberal justices argued that the court would appear to be a political body if it tossed out abortion rulings that the country has relied on for decades, the outlet reported.
Earlier this year, Wyoming joined Texas and 23 other states in filing an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the decision to regulate elective abortions should be left to states.
In the brief joined by Wyoming, the 24 states agreed that nothing in the text, history, or tradition of the U.S. Constitution supports a right to elective abortion.
“This year has made abundantly clear that federal overreach harms Wyoming and its citizens,” Gov. Mark Gordon said at the time. “Wyoming must stand up for states’ rights. I am happy to extend support to Mississippi in order to properly keep state control over state issues, especially in the fight to protect the unborn.”
