Republican Slams Texas Supreme Court for Kate Cox Abortion Decision

Republican Sen. Susan Collins has slammed the Texas Supreme Court ruling in the Kat Cox abortion case.

The Texas Supreme Court on Monday reversed a lower court’s ruling that would have allowed Cox, a pregnant 31-year-old mother of two, to obtain an abortion under the state’s “medical emergency” exception. However, the ruling comes as Cox left the state on Monday to allow herself to terminate the pregnancy legally, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, which has represented Cox in the case. Cox first sought the abortion after learning her fetus has a fatal trisomy 18 genetic defect, also known as Edwards’ syndrome. Most babies with the defect will die before birth or shortly afterward. Previously, a state judge last week ruled Cox, who is 21 weeks pregnant, could terminate her pregnancy—but the Texas Supreme Court temporarily put that ruling on hold late Friday.

On Tuesday, Collins of Maine slammed the Texas ruling denying Cox an abortion, according to Igor Bobic, senior politics reporter at the HuffPost, who quoted her on X, formerly Twitter, as saying, “I thought it was a terrible decision… that may affect her future ability to carry a child, was forced to leave Texas to get a much needed abortion—it’s just inconceivable to me.”

This comes as Texas enacted one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States, following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, leaving individual states to choose their own legal status on abortion. Texas’ ban, which does not have exceptions for rape, incest or medical needs, such as Cox’s case, goes into effect after about six weeks of pregnancy.

Collins previously condemned the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, stating, “The Supreme Court has abandoned a fifty-year precedent at a time that the country is desperate for stability. This ill-considered action will further divide the country at a moment when, more than ever in modern times, we need the Court to show both consistency and restraint.”

“Throwing out a precedent overnight that the country has relied upon for half a century is not conservative. It is a sudden and radical jolt to the country that will lead to political chaos, anger, and a further loss of confidence in our government,” Collins added in a press release in 2022.

However, amid Cox and other abortion cases, some have taken to X to criticize Collins, noting resurfaced interviews of the senator stating she was confident Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh would not overturn Roe v. Wade.

Kavanaugh was one of the five justices to vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade in 2022.