If you missed hearing about the terrible threatening performance recently given by the Senate’s Democratic leader, don’t be surprised. Just think about the uproar that would have resulted if President Trump, Senator Mitch McConnell, or any other Republican officeholder had come even close to hurling the type of threat sent out by Chuck Schumer.
Here’s the issue that prompted Schumer. The Supreme Court has agreed to rule on a matter already approved by the Louisiana legislature that requires doctors who perform abortions to possess admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic where they perform their work. The law also requires that abortionists possess board certification in obstetrics and gynecology. If the measure is allowed to remain in force by the High Court, there will be only two abortion clinics in the entire state and a significant reduction in terminating lives in the womb will be the result. Abortionists fear greatly that a Supreme Court ruling upholding the measure will prompt other states to copy Louisiana’s law, thereby dealing the abortion industry a significant setbact.
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Abortion partisans are well aware of the likelihood that the two newest justices appointed by President Trump, Neal Gorsuch and Brent Kavanaugh, can be expected to join three fellow jurists (Thomas, Alito, and Roberts) and rule in favor of the Louisiana measure. That’s why the two justices were targeted by Schumer. If the Court so rules, abortion’s grip on Louisiana will be lessened — and it will likely by cut back in several other states as well. So a group of pro-abortion zealots gathered on the steps of the Supreme Court to voice their insistence that abortion must continue, not receive any reduction. And who should show up to express agreement with them but the Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Referring to the actions of the Louisiana government and subsequent appeal court ruling upholding the measure, Schumer’s message included the following threat: “I want to tell you Gorsuch; I want to tell you Kavanaugh: you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You will not know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” (Article continues after video.)
Immediately, Chief Justice Roberts condemned the Schumer threat by correctly calling it “dangerous.” A Schumer defender tried to excuse what the senator had stated with a claim that the remark was general, nor specifically aimed at two justices. Schumer himself tried to excuse his threat as a generic warning to anti-abortionists. Both these excusers of Schumer’s outage had targeted the two justices by name.
Schumer’s obvious threat aimed at federal judges is a criminal act. While worthy of punishment, even to Schumer’s removal from the Senate, such action is not expected. The fallout, especially if the Supreme Court rules as expected, should not be forgotten by pro-lifers and even by the members of Congress. Schumer and his many defenders should be reminded of his out-of-order threat in the future. Doing so may tear away his frequent posturing as a calm and reasonable leader of the Senate’s Democrats. He surely hopes that what he did will be forgotten or treated as a minimal exercise of political rhetoric.
Again, there is little doubt that a similar or even lesser threat issued by GOP legislator or by President Trump would never be swept under the nearest rug as Democrats hope will happen. Even a small but deserved rebuke — a mere slap on the wrist — from an appropriate source would clip Schumer’s wings more than they have already been damaged. And that would be a plus for the nation.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will soon render its decision. Everywhere, opponents of the grisly practice of abortion hope the Louisiana law will be upheld, even copied by other states to lessen the scourge of terminating innocent life in the womb.
John F. McManus is president emeritus of The John Birch Society.
