US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticised Republicans for failing to “own up” to the fact that their actions may now contribute to the overthrow of Roe v. Wade.

“I cannot tell you the outrage I feel at this decision and the outrage I feel that Republicans who did it won’t own up to it and duck it. It’s despicable,” Schumer stated this during his weekly policy press conference on Tuesday.

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“And he wouldn’t even answer yes or no,” the New York Democrat remarked of GOP Leader Mitch McConnell being asked at his weekly policy presser whether he took personal credit for having Roe repealed.

“They spent a decade, two decades trying to repeal Roe and now they won’t own up to it,” Schumer continued. “They’re like the dog that caught the bus. They know they’re on the wrong side of history. They know they’re on the wrong side of where the American people are. They know they’ll pay the consequences in the 2022 elections. And their spin masters are telling them to avoid the subject and they did.”

Also read: What is Roe v. Wade?

When asked if he regretted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s choice not to resign from the Supreme Court and Democrats’ failure to urge her to do so, Schumer answered, “I’m not going to second guess Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”

Schumer restated his aim to take a vote “very soon” on legislation to codify the right to abortion, which presently has no way forward given the chamber’s 50-50 divide.

The majority leader said he hasn’t read the proposal proposed by Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine to codify Roe v. Wade.

When asked about his statement accusing some Supreme Court judges of lying, Schumer responded, “When asked about Roe v. Wade, they said they follow precedent and on issue after issue they are no longer following precedent that was misleading the American people and we are many instances in the private interviews when they talk to people just the same. They were true misleading.” 

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Schumer sidestepped the topic of whether Democrats should seriously consider extending the Supreme Court.

“Our first step is to have the vote that we’re going to have next week,” he said. “And the bottom line is that we’re going to look to these elections in November and I think it’s going to be the American people (that) are going to speak loudly and clearly that we need some change. We cannot have a right-wing court run America. How that changes we’ll have to see.”