‘This is not over’: Biden promises to fight
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said Friday that he would fight to preserve access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and he called on Americans to elect more Democrats who would safeguard rights upended by the court’s decision. “This is not over,” he declared.
“Let’s be very clear, the health and life of women across this nation are now at risk,” he said from the White House on what he called “a sad day for the court and the country.”
Biden added that “the court has done what it’s never done before — expressly taking away a constitutional right that is so fundamental to so many Americans.”
Republicans and conservative leaders celebrated the culmination of a decadeslong campaign to undo the nationwide legalization of abortion that began with Roe v. Wade in 1973. “Millions of Americans have spent half a century praying, marching and working toward today’s historic victories for the rule of law and for innocent life,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., an architect of efforts to tilt the Supreme Court to the right.
Although Biden has previously expressed conflicted feelings about abortion, he delivered a forceful defense Friday. Noting that Republican-controlled states now had a clear path to ban abortion even in cases of incest or rape, he said that “it just stuns me.”
Because the country will increasingly see a patchwork of policies — with some states restricting abortion and others providing it freely — Biden emphasized that the court decision does not prevent anyone from traveling to end a pregnancy.
“Women must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need,” he said. “And my administration will defend that bedrock right.”
Biden warned that other legal precedents ensuring same-sex marriage and access to birth control could also be at risk.
“This is an extreme and dangerous path this court is taking us on,” he said.
The White House and the Justice Department said they would look for ways to blunt the effects of the ruling, and Biden said his administration would try to ensure that abortion medication is available as widely as possible.
However, no executive actions were announced Friday, and Biden conceded that his options were limited. White House officials tried to rally allies in a virtual meeting after the president spoke.
“We need to stay united,” said Emmy Ruiz, the director of political strategy and outreach. “We know that the task ahead is incredibly daunting. But we’re prepared to meet the moment.”
Biden and other Democrats hope to use outrage over the court decision to rally voters in November’s midterm elections. Although nationwide legislation ensuring access to abortion appears out of reach, more Democratic victories at the state level could limit Republican efforts to ban the practice.
“Congress must act, and with your vote, you can act,” Biden said. “You can have the final word.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the court’s ruling “is outrageous and heartwrenching” and fulfills the Republican Party’s “dark and extreme goal of ripping away women’s right to make their own reproductive health decisions.”
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department “will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom.” He said that in addition to protecting providers and those seeking abortions in states where it remains legal, “we stand ready to work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care.”
He also noted that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of mifepristone, a drug used to end pregnancies. “States may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy,” Garland said.