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We the People

Will Roe be Overturned?: Abortion and the Constitution Part 1

We the People

National Constitution Center

News, News Commentary, History

4.61.1K Ratings

🗓️ 23 May 2019

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The increasing number of new laws restricting abortion recently passed in numerous states around the country has some wondering: is Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion at risk? On this episode, we dive into landmark abortion precedent from Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade through Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, tracing the evolution of abortion jurisprudence under the Constitution. We also discuss the variety of new laws aimed at restricting access to abortion, and how current justices may rule on upcoming challenges to these laws—whether they will be upheld or struck down. Host Jeffrey Rosen is joined by Kathryn Kolbert, a reproductive rights lawyer who argued on behalf of Planned Parenthood in the Casey case, and Clarke Forsythe, Senior Counsel at Americans United for Life.  Questions or comments about the show? Email us at podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Transcript

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0:00.0

I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome

0:08.0

to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.

0:11.7

The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress to increase awareness

0:17.4

and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.

0:21.4

Dear we the people friends, abortion laws are back in the people. in states, including Missouri, Alabama and Georgia.

0:33.8

And we're so honored today on We The People

0:36.2

to have two of America's most important voices

0:40.1

for and against the constitutional arguments in favor of protecting the right to choose with us,

0:48.0

to educate all of us.

0:50.0

Catherine Colbert, who is sitting here in studio and is now based in Philadelphia,

0:55.0

argued the landmark case of Planned Parenthood versus Casey before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992.

1:02.0

She recently retired as Constance Hess Williams 66

1:06.7

founding director of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies and as a professor in

1:10.5

the Political Science Department at Barnard College and was previously

1:14.2

president and CEO of People for the American Way and co-founder and vice president

1:18.8

of the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy.

1:20.9

Catherine, it's great to have you back in Philadelphia and here in studio.

1:25.6

Thanks.

1:26.6

And Clark Forsyth is Senior Council at Americans United for Life, where he's worked for more

1:31.4

than three decades.

1:32.6

He's the author of Abuse of Discretion,

1:34.9

the Inside Story of Roe versus Wade,

...

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