DES MOINES, Iowa – The justices of the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a lawsuit filed to stop Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, passed in 2018. The justices could rule against the law, uphold the law in a narrow ruling, or, as abortion opponents hope, overturn the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade and the 1992 ruling in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Three Iowa members of Congress spoke out about the court case.
U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, argued that Mississippi’s law “will save lives.”
“We all know, and science has proven, that after 15 weeks in the womb, these babies have a fully developed heart. They have fingers and toes, they have arms and legs, they can kick, and they’ll even jump if they are startled, in their mother’s wombs. And certainly, they feel pain. So science has developed through the years,” she said during a press conference on Wednesday morning.
“As we see this new science and technology developing, they have taught us about pregnancy and unborn children. And I think as a mom, when I found out that I was having a child, the words that came out of my mouth were ‘we’re having a baby.’ That’s exactly what that child in my womb was, a baby, not even at 15 weeks. So we really have to update our laws, to be reflective of the new science and technology that allows us to know and understand so much more about these human beings that are in their mother’s wombs, and I am so grateful that this case is coming in front of the Supreme Court, the Mississippi law is going to save lives. And it will allow voters in pro-life states like Iowa to make those decisions and protect the most vulnerable people in our society. And those are the lives of the unborn,” Ernst added.
She pointed out that polling shows a substantial majority of Americans, up to 80 percent, oppose late-term abortions.
U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, in a video on Twitter, said the Mississippi law should stand.
“As a mom of two boys myself, I know that at 15 weeks, moms can feel their babies move, and the baby’s heart is fully developed. So this law should stand. I’ll continue doing all I can to defend life and be a voice for the voiceless in Congress,” she said.
During a speech on the House floor, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, said that the case would have “enormous implications for the future.”
“It will determine whether abortions performed before a baby is considered viable are lawful. Here’s why this is so important: As early as just five weeks, unborn babies are forming blood vessels, by ten weeks, pain receptors have started developing, and at 15 weeks, babies have developed hearts and pump 26 quarts of blood per day,” he argued.
“With its potential to overturn Roe V. Wade and save millions, Dobbs v. Jackson is a beacon of hope for innocent life,” Feenstra added.
“There is nothing more fundamental and sacred in our Constitution than the right to life,” he stated.
Watch their remarks in the video above.
