‘Keep protesting’ as I weigh fed decree: Biden

President Biden on Sunday encouraged people to keep protesting the Supreme Court’s move to overturn Roe v. Wade — and said he was mulling declaring a publichealth emergency to free up federal resources for abortion access.

“Keep protesting. Keep making your point. It’s critically important,” Biden, who was on a bike ride near his family’s Delaware beach house, told those who have been demonstrating against the June 24 ruling.

Biden, 79, also said that he asked his staff “whether I have the authority” to announce the health emergency and what the impact would be, according to White House press pool reports.

“We can do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women,” he told reporters. “In the meantime, fundamentally, the only way to change this is to have a national law that reinstates Roe v. Wade.”

Protests against the justices who voted to overturn the 1973 landmark case have continued since the ruling, and have sometimes prompted criticism of the tactics used to make their views heard.

Last week, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who voted to strike down Roe v. Wade, had to escape Morton’s The Steakhouse in Washington, DC, after protesters showed up outside the restaurant. Morton’s said patrons were “unduly harassed by unruly protesters.”

Biden acknowledged that he had the power to ensure women have access to abortions and that their private information is protected but restoring the rights in Roe v. Wade requires Congress.

“As president I don’t have the authority to say that we’re going to reinstate Roe v. Wade,” Biden said. “My ultimate goal is to reinstate Roe v. Wade as a national law by passing a law through the United States Congress and I’ll sign it.”

On Friday, Biden tasked Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to come up with a plan to safeguard access to abortions, medical care and contraceptives in all 50 states.