H.R.722: The Republicans Try to Ban Abortion Federally and Say Fuck You to the Constitution

The latest clusterfuck from congressional Republicans to circumvent established constitutional precedent and judicial authority comes in the form of H.R.722, a bill that's not just legally dubious but fundamentally misunderstands both the 14th Amendment and the scope of congressional power. This damn piece of legislation represents yet another politically motivated attack on reproductive rights, wrapped in the false veneer of constitutional authority. The whole thing is such bullshit it's hard to know where to start.

The Constitutional Sleight of Hand

The bill's authors are trying to pull a fast one on the American public by misappropriating the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Here's the fucking thing - they're attempting to define personhood through legislation, which is like trying to declare that water isn't wet. The Supreme Court has consistently recognized that the word "person" as used in the 14th Amendment does not include the unborn. Even conservative legal scholars ha…