Biden vows to protect abortion rights in US
US President Joe Biden yesterday vowed to protect American women’s abortion rights after a leaked Supreme Court draft suggested they could be overturned.
Democrat politicians and activists scrambled for a way to mitigate the effects should the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion be reversed.
The court confirmed that the document released in draft form in a report by Politico on Monday was authentic. But it said “it does not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case”.
Chief Justice John Roberts ordered an investigation into the leak. Meanwhile, a White
House statement outlined Mr Biden’s intention to protect Roe v Wade.
“I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental. Roe has been the law of the land for almost 50 years and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned,” read Mr Biden’s statement.
The White House said it would be ready should a ruling be issued and that preparations began when the state of Texas signed a restrictive abortion bill into law.
“Shortly after the enactment of Texas law SB 8 and other laws restricting women’s reproductive rights, I directed my gender policy council and White House counsel’s office to prepare options for an administration response to the continued attack on abortion and reproductive rights,” Mr Biden’s statement read.
Were the ruling to be overturned, Mr Biden said that protecting a woman’s choice would fall on nationally elected officials and voters.
“At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law,” Mr Biden said.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said that his state would propose an amendment in its constitution to “enshrine the right to choose”.
“We can’t trust [the court] to protect the right to abortion, so we’ll do it ourselves,” Mr Newsom tweeted.
A bill that would have protected the right to abortion throughout the US died in Congress this year because the Democrats’ razor-thin majority was not enough to overcome Senate rules requiring a supermajority to agree on most legislation.
In the absence of federal action, states have passed a series of abortion-related laws. New restrictions have been passed in six Republican-led states this year.
Three Democratic-led states have passed measures aimed at protecting abortion rights.
Abortion is one of the most divisive issues in US politics.
A 2021 poll by the Pew Research Centre found that 59 per cent of adults believe it should be legal and 39 per cent think it should be illegal in all or most cases.