A Commonweal editorial takes a similar tone toward FOCA to the one I’ve challenged below.
I think that even if the Democrats have no apparent plans to enact FOCA, it is worthwhile to oppose it, for the following reasons:
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Many pro-life people voted for Obama. This provides an opportunity to make explicit how substantial this support was, and demonstrate that they will continue to witness on behalf of the unborn.
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Even if Republicans appoint the next nine Supreme Court justices, I don’t think Roe v. Wade will be overturned unless there is a strong consensus to do so. (Remember, almost all same sex marraige decisions were made by courts with a majority of Republican appointees). Right now, overturning Roe v. Wade is seen as an extreme step people do not want to see happen. But there is a gap between support for Roe and support for what Roe actually requires. Since FOCA is billed as “codifying Roe into law” and includes things like requiring Catholic hospitals to perform abortions, it would put into relief how extreme Roe is and what a barrier to compromise it is.
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It would be a major victory for the pro-life cause if Obama or the Democratic leadership abandoned its support for this bill
