Supreme Court abortion ruling updates: WH warns of ‘nightmare scenarios’

The Supreme Court voted to overrule the decisions of Roe and Casey.

ByMeredith Deliso, Mark Osborne, Nadine El-Bawab, Mary Kekatos, Alexandra Svokos, Kate Pastor, Haley Yamada, Stephanie Guerilus , and Melissa Gaffney
Last Updated: June 25, 2022, 1:01 PM EDT

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in a much-anticipated ruling Friday in one of its biggest decisions this term.

The court voted 5-4, largely along party lines, to overturn Roe and 6-3, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which involved Mississippi's ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion rights supporters react to the overturning of Roe v Wade outside the United States Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022.
Mary F. Calvert/Reuters

It appeared that the panel's conservative majority of justices was ready to overturn nearly 50 years of established abortion rights after last month's leaked draft decision indicated as much.

Top headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Jun 25, 2022, 1:01 PM EDT

White House warns of ‘nightmare scenarios’ after Roe repeal

The White House on Saturday continued to criticize the overturning of Roe v. Wade, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters the Supreme Court’s ruling is “out of step” with what a majority of Americans want.

“We are going to see some nightmare scenarios, sadly, because of this decision,” Jean-Pierre said on Air Force One on the way to the G7 summit in Germany.

Jean-Pierre touted the steps announced by the administration yesterday to protect access to federally approved medication like contraception and medication abortion and to ensure women can travel across state lines for reproductive health care.

But it's ultimately up to Congress to fully restore Roe, she said.

“If that can’t happen, the American public has to use their voice," Jean-Pierre said. "In light of this decision, they have to use their voice at the ballot box."

Not on the table, she said, is court expansion: “That is something that the President does not agree with.”

Jun 25, 2022, 9:50 AM EDT

Advocacy group calls on DOD to support servicewomen, families as abortion bans begin to take effect

Advocacy group "Not in My Marine Corps," started by former marine and Department of Defense civil servant Erin Kirk Cuomo, called on leaders to support servicewomen and families in areas where abortion bans have begun to take effect. The group has worked to raise awareness around sexual assault in the military.

The group is calling on leaders in the department and Virginia to:

  • Push for "compassionate reassignment" policies to let active duty women (and families) currently stationed in states with trigger laws appeal for reassignment
  • Guarantee service members in need of abortion will be able to cross state lines
  • Put an end to the Hyde Amendment so military bases can provide more abortion care.

"We're already seeing in states that won't even recognize reproductive care and abortion in cases of rape and incest. So any service members that are stationed at those bases and their families, especially with the high rates of sexual assault [in the military] that we see, that's going to impact them," Cuomo said.

"It'll be interesting to see what DoD comes out within the next several days. We've known that this is going to be happening for months now. So they should have they should have been working on these policies," Cuomo added.

Because of the Hyde Amendment, the department's military medical program doesn’t regularly perform abortions, so service members would rely on providers in the state.

Earlier this month, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, introduced legislation that did not call for a full repeal of Hyde, but for a more tailored change in policy to allow military doctors on military bases provide abortion access for service members. There is a companion bill in the House.

"While states like New York will remain a safe haven for reproductive freedom, the reproductive rights of women serving at Fort Hood in Texas or other conservative states could be in jeopardy," Gillibrand wrote, introducing the bill.

-ABC News' MaryAlice Parks

Jun 25, 2022, 9:27 AM EDT

Biden says administration will examine implementation of state abortion laws

President Joe Biden commented on states implementing abortion bans, vowing to act, the morning after the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights.

“The decision is implemented by states. My administration is going to focus on how they administer it, and whether or not they violate other laws, like deciding who is not allowed across state lines to get public health services. And we're gonna take actions to protect women's rights and reproductive health,” Biden vowed.

Asked if he thought the court is broken, Biden said, “I think the Supreme Court has made some terrible decisions.”

Jun 25, 2022, 8:51 AM EDT

Blinken vows to ensure reproductive care access to State Department employees

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the State Department will do everything in its power to ensure its employees have access to reproductive health services no matter where they live, vowing not to waver from this commitment.

Adding, "Under this Administration, the State Department will remain fully committed to helping provide access to reproductive health services and advancing reproductive rights around the world," Blinken said in a statement.