Here's what Iowa officials are saying about the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned
Ian RichardsonA draft opinion, obtained by Politico, suggests the U.S. Supreme Court is considering overturning the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion.
The high court is in the process of considering a direct challenge to Roe from Mississippi, which passed a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
The Supreme Court issued a statement Tuesday morning confirming the draft opinion was authentic but "does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case."
More:Western Iowa town passes ordinance outlawing abortion within city limits
As soon as the draft was public Monday night, Iowa officials began weighing in on the possibility of the landmark decision being overturned.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and the state's two Republican U.S. senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, said they are in favor of overturning Roe. Iowa Democrats said they plan to fight to keep abortion rights.
U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, Iowa's lone Democrat in Congress, has voted to codify Roe v. Wade and has called on the U.S. Senate to do the same. Iowa's Republican U.S. representatives — Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra — meanwhile, signed onto a brief last year urging the Supreme Court to overturn Roe.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds: 'We are fighting to defend the most important freedom'
Reynolds was among a dozen Republican governors who signed onto an amicus brief in 2021 asking the court to overturn its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
On Tuesday morning, she said "the right to life" is "the most important freedom."
"As we await the Supreme Court’s final ruling, our mission remains as clear as it has ever been," she said in a statement. "We are fighting to defend the most important freedom there is: the right to life."
Reynolds challenger Deidre DeJear: 'Women across our nation are angry and they are scared'
Democrat Deidre DeJear, who is running against Reynolds in the 2022 gubernatorial election, tweeted about the leaked draft Monday night.
"Tonight women across our nation are angry and they are scared. I see you. Let this soak in tonight … because tomorrow we don't mourn, we get back to work to ensure that every Iowan has access to the health care and reproductive care that they need," she wrote.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley: Leak was a 'monumental breach'
Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said Tuesday he has been vocal about his hopes that Roe v. Wade would be overturned.
"I've let people know for 40 years where I stand on Roe," he said, according to a report by Radio Iowa. "I've had the same position for decades."
According to the report, Grassley said there hasn't been a way to predict whether the Supreme Court nominees he has supported were going to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. He added that the leak was "surely a monumental breach of trust within our judicial system," unlike anything he has seen during his time in the Senate.
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst: 'I am adamantly pro-life'
Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said in an interview with Newsmax Tuesday morning that it's "a decision that we have been waiting on anxiously," but this was not the way she had anticipated hearing the news.
"This leak is absolutely abhorrent," she said. "So whoever has done this has really thrown our Supreme Court under the bus…
"I still believe the Supreme Court needs to go through its proper processes. This was just a draft opinion. I am adamantly pro-life.
"It does not strike down abortion completely. It allows those state legislators to make those decisions for their own constituents in their own states. However, we need a final opinion coming from the Supreme Court."
U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer: News 'makes me scared and it makes me sick'
Former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer, who is running in the Democratic primary and hopes to oppose Grassley in the fall, issued a statement Monday night saying that Congress should codify the protections in Roe v. Wade.
“Like millions of women across the country, this news makes me scared and it makes me sick — it’s never been more important to stand up and fight back," she said. “I’ve had to fight to defend reproductive rights — my own rights — for my entire career in public service, from the Iowa Legislature to the U.S. Congress. I’m ready to do it again in the U.S. Senate."
Finkenauer said Grassley "has been working to undermine reproductive rights since he got to Washington."
U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken: If Roe is overturned, it would be Grassley's fault
Mike Franken, who is also running in the Democratic Senate primary, pointed to Grassley's role in the Supreme Court nomination process.
"In Chuck Grassley's nearly 5 decades of not accomplishing anything of note, so surreal that his blatant partisan unfairness led to a Supreme Court so out of step with America," he tweeted. "Overturning Roe v Wade is on him. Make that your epitaph, Senator."
U.S. Senate candidate Glenn Hurst: 'The government does not belong in a woman's exam room'
Glenn Hurst, another Democrat running in the Senate primary, said he supports ending the Senate filibuster to allow Congress to pass a law codifying the right to abortion.
“Unequivocal support of a woman’s right to abortion should be a given for a progressive candidate in Iowa where the majority of the population supports this position," he said. "The elimination of the filibuster, support for the Green New Deal, and the Medicare for All Act should go hand in hand with those who seek a more just nation. Social justice is the path to equity of opportunity, privilege, and property.”
Iowa Republican Party chair Jeff Kaufmann: 'We must protect the most vulnerable'
Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann issued a statement Tuesday saying the Republican Party plans to fight for "defending the unborn."
"The Republican Party of Iowa is committed to defending the unborn and will fight for every person's right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We must protect the most vulnerable in our society, especially those who have no voice."
Iowa Democratic Party chair Ross Wilburn: 'The fight is not over'
Monday night, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn sent out a statement saying "the fight is not over". He said he's "proud to stand alongside the Iowans organizing for a future where our personal freedoms are protected."
“Every Iowan deserves to make the decision for themselves if, when, and with whom to have a family. And right now, Iowans still have that right. But with the latest news from the U.S. Supreme Court, the freedoms we’ve fought for decades to preserve are dangling by a thread. Let me make something absolutely clear: The majority of Iowans and the majority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal," he said. "I know that many of us feel afraid right now, but we have the power to elect champions for reproductive freedoms this fall who will write the protections of Roe into law at both the federal and state level. This fight is not over — and I’m proud to stand alongside the Iowans organizing for a future where our personal freedoms are protected.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the Iowa Democratic Party joined a group of state parties calling on Democratic lawmakers to add abortion protections to federal law.
Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood North Central States: Abortion is still legal
Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, released a statement Monday saying its doors were still open and "will remain open every day for abortion care as long as legally possible."
“Anyone who has an abortion appointment this week, or needs an abortion appointment, please know that Planned Parenthood is here for you.
"This leaked opinion is horrifying. We all knew the day could come that safe and legal abortion would be decimated in our country, and now we are facing that reality. It is true that individual Americans may have different moral views on abortion, and this is exactly why the strong majority of people in our country believe that this decision must be left up to individuals themselves.
"We will not accept this decision without a fight — we are ready and will mobilize, organize and stand up in every corner of our land. Our voices will be heard. And Planned Parenthood will never, ever abandon our patients. Planned Parenthood is here for good.”
The Family Leader: Report is 'fantastic news'
The Family Leader, an Iowa conservative Christian organization, issued a statement Tuesday calling the reported draft opinion "fantastic news." But the statement pointed to an Iowa Supreme Court decision that found abortion is protected as a fundamental right under the Iowa Constitution.
"Such a ruling would allow the states, at long last, to protect mothers and babies from the horrors of abortion," the statement said. "But not in Iowa."
The statement said the state should move forward with passing a constitutional amendment that says the Iowa Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion. That amendment would need to pass in 2023 or 2024 to get on the ballot in 2024.
"To be clear, however, the right to life is not a state's rights or voter issue," the statement said. "It is a God-given, foundational right. And the Family Leader calls on our judges, elected leaders and fellow citizens to protect that right in our law, our constitution, our families, our churches and our culture."
Iowa Right to Life: 'Joyous news'
A statement from Iowa Right to Life emailed by executive director Kristi Judkins called the draft decision "joyous news."
"Since our fight is for the lives of the unborn children of this nation, which includes overturning the mistakes of Roe v. Wade, there was much excitement," the statement said. "We are both cautious and optimistic as we wait for the official decision from the Supreme Court. Our work and our cause at Iowa Right to Life is to promote and preserve the sanctity of life from fertilization to natural death. This work is not finished with this potential good news."
The Des Moines Register's Stephen Gruber-Miller contributed to this report
Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.