Huh ? Due to Federalism and enumerated powers, Congress has absolutely no say in abortion. I'm sure they could have thought of something short of a made-up right coming from the Supreme Court that would have dialed this all back.
Here' what I think is going to happen:
- The debates will begin in the several states, as the states grapple with the issue.
- The people will eventually clamor for a national solution after the states create a patchwork of different laws.
- Congress will be forced to come up with single uniform solution to abortion.
As long as Roe has been "settled law," it allowed the extremes to rule the middle. On the one hand was the "abortion any time" crowd that included day of birth (and sometimes the day after), and on the other hand was the "no abortion ever" under any circumstance group. Most people are somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.
Pundits are saying that the people should decide, and they will at the state level. It's only after the states disagree that a national issue of conformity will arise, and that's where Congress can play a role. Congress can make uniform what the states have decided on.
-PJ