Demonstrators protest outside of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday. A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report released Monday. Whatever the outcome, the Politico report represents an extremely rare breach of the court's secretive deliberation process, and on a case of surpassing importance. Associated Press

Butler County’s elected officials — as did much of the country — held polarized opinions on the news of the U.S. Supreme Court’s plan to abolish a constitutional right to abortion.

Some, such as U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, D-17th, denounced the court’s leaked draft opinion published late Monday by news outlet Politico, while others, like U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, cheered the news as a step in the right direction.

The Supreme Court’s draft opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, which the court confirmed as genuine but said did not “represent ... the final position of any member,” would overturn Roe v. Wade, a 1973 case which established the constitutional right to abortion, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case which upheld the right but established a standard that states could not implement an “undue burden” on pregnant women seeking abortions.

“If the reports are true about the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision, this is a major victory for the pro-life movement,” Kelly said. “I’ve spent many years advocating for the unborn and the principle that abortion laws should be enacted by the people’s elected representatives, not activist (Supreme Court) justices.”

Kelly said he would continue advocating for a federal ban on abortions after detection of a “fetal heartbeat” via his proposed Heartbeat Protection Act, adding an abortion ban is a “greater moral good.”

But Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said abortion would remain legal in the state regardless of the Supreme Court’s ruling, pledging to veto any abortion restrictions. He called the court draft a “stunning, seismic reversal and will set back women’s and birthing people’s health care by decades.”

“The majority of Americans believe in the right to access abortion, and the implication that this right may be reversed is appalling,” Wolf said. “This is an attack on privacy, on bodily autonomy and on the right to health care — but more than that, it’s an attack on our future.”

Wolf’s fellow Democrat, Lamb, also criticized the draft opinion.

“The draft Supreme Court opinion, which restricts women’s access to safe, legal abortion services, is outrageous,” Lamb said. “I cosponsored and voted for H.R. 3755, the Women’s Health Protection Act in the House, and the Senate must pass this legislation immediately to preserve these rights.”

In the U.S. Senate, retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey was mum on the merits of the draft decision. Instead, Toomey criticized the leak of the draft opinion.

“Leaking a premature Supreme Court opinion — regardless of subject matter — undermines the court as an institution and erodes America’s trust in this pillar of our constitutional structure,” Toomey said. “While the motive behind this leak is unclear, I’m concerned it was released as a political ploy to pressure justices to change their views when the rule of law — not public opinion — should determine the outcome and reasoning of a case.”

Toomey encouraged Chief Justice John Roberts to hold accountable the person who leaked the information. Roberts said on Tuesday he directed the Supreme Court Marshal to “launch an investigation into the source of the leak.”

Pennsylvania’s senior senator, Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, said he has “serious concerns about” the court overturning Roe.

“Congress should be working to reduce the number of abortions and unintended pregnancies and doing much more to support women and families,” Casey said.