Philly Leader

Pennsylvania GOP state senator and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano has issued a statement in response to the leaked SCOTUS opinion regarding Roe v. Wade.

In an unprecedented leak, Politico obtained a draft of the Supreme Court opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case seeking to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to CNBC. Roe v. Wade, decided 49 years ago, guaranteed women's right to undergo an abortion. The official ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson was expected in June.

"Court employees have an exemplary and important tradition of respecting the confidentiality of the judicial process and upholding the trust of the Court. This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the Court and the community of public servants who work here," Chief Justice John Roberts said of the leak.

Mastriano has vowed to fight for unborn rights if elected governor. 

"The U.S. Supreme Court is now on the verge of reversing Roe v. Wade – a 1973 decision that was not based on good science or sound constitutional law," Mastriano said in an email. "While the leak of the impending ruling is unprecedented, it is not surprising. Just as they did in 1973, activists within our country’s highest court are desperately protect(ing) the horrific abortion industry."

Mastriano said conservative justices should not be intimidated. 

"Abortion is a science-denying practice (that) has killed millions of unborn children and has been used to deliberately target minorities," he said. "According to the latest data, African Americans and Latinos in Pennsylvania, who make up roughly 18% of the general population in the state, suffer nearly 60% of all abortions in the commonwealth." 

He said the General Assembly should hold a vote on the Heartbeat Bill, a bill he introduced in 2019, once the new SCOTUS ruling is official.

"As governor, I will continue to champion pro-life legislation and fight for the unborn. This is the least that we can do for the future generations of Pennsylvanians," Mastriano said.

In 2019, Mastriano introduced pro-life legislation that would require doctors to determine whether a baby has a heartbeat before performing an abortion, according to his website. If the baby does have a heartbeat, the doctor would not be able to perform the abortion, removing the need to impose a gestational time limit on the abortion access. Mastriano and Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R-76) indicated that more than 90% of pregnancies in which the baby has a heartbeat are viable.

"Abortion is one of the most difficult topics to discuss in our nation, as it is tied to deeply personal and emotional issues," Mastriano said at the time. "Yet, it is time that we have an open and honest discussion on this very difficult matter. Scientific and medical advances of the past 50 years have laid to waste the idea that the baby in the womb is simply a blob of tissue. It’s time for the discussion that includes a scientific and logical dialogue on this most important issue of our generation."

Mastriano is a retired U.S. Army Colonel who currently serves as the state senator for Pennsylvania’s 33rd District, according to his bio page. Mastriano holds four master's degrees in strategy, strategic intelligence, military operations and airpower. He also holds a Ph.D. in history. He has been featured on multiple national radio programs, as well as Tucker Carlson, C-Span and Fox Business with Stuart Varney.

Mastriano will face off against multiple GOP challengers in the Republican gubernatorial primary on May 17, including Lou Barletta, Bill McSwain and Dave White, according to Ballotpedia. Incumbent Gov. Tom Wolf is term-limited and will not be seeking reelection.