Joe Biden

Biden Vows Abortion Fight, Assails ‘Extreme' Court Ruling

The president said the court has done what it’s never done before in taking away a constitutional right that is so fundamental to so many Americans.

NBC Universal, Inc. President Joe Biden discussed the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in a speech on Friday.

President Joe Biden said Friday he would try 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 decades-long 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 on Friday. Noting that Republican-controlled states now had a clear path to ban abortion even in cases of incest or rape, he said “it just stuns me.”

Since 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.

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Anti-abortion protesters celebrate the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022.
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Pro-abortion rights protesters react as the Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization decision overturning Roe v Wade is handed down at the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, June 24, 2022.
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Anti-abortion demonstrators outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., US, on Friday, June 24, 2022. A deeply divided Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and wiped out the constitutional right to abortion, issuing a historic ruling likely to render the procedure largely illegal in half the country.
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An aerial view of people gathered at Washington Square Park to protest against the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health case on June 24, 2022 in the Manhattan borough of New York City, United States.
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Anti-abortion demonstrators outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., US, on Friday, June 24, 2022.
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Pro-abortion demonstrators gather outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
Abortion-rights activists gather for a protest following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade at Union Square, Friday, June 24, 2022, in New York.
AP Photo/Paul Beaty
(From left to right) Grace Miller (11), Luke Miller (13), Leo Miller (5) and Faith Miller (15) hold signs at an anti-abortion rally at Federal Plaza Friday, June 24, 2022, in Chicago, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs Wade.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
People protest for abortion-rights at the Utah State Capitol Friday, June 24, 2022, in Salt Lake City.
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Abortion rights demonstrator reacts outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., US, on Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo
A demonstrator holds a sign outside the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. on Friday, June 24, 2022 protesting the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Anti-abortion supporters hug outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022. The US Supreme Court on Friday ended the right to abortion in a seismic ruling that shreds half a century of constitutional protections on one of the most divisive and bitterly fought issues in American political life.
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Pro-abortion supporters react outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Polama Amayo-Ryan stands as a lone demonstrator at the steps to the state capitol in Austin, Texas, Friday, June 24, 2022.
Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Anti-abortion rights and abortion rights demonstrators hold signs outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., US, on Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe
An abortion-rights protester sheds tears following Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the federally protected right to abortion, in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022.
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Members of Florida Planned Parenthood PAC Abortion rights activists protest in Miami, Florida, on June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Paul Beaty
Executive director of Illinois Right To Life Amy Gehrke speaks during an anti-abortion rally at Federal Plaza Friday, June 24, 2022, in Chicago.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images
Anti-abortion campaigners celebrate outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Demonstrators protest about abortion outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Paul Sancya
Abortion-rights protesters cheer at a rally following the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, federally protected right to abortion, outside the state capitol in Lansing, Mich., Friday, June 24, 2022.
Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Abortion rights demonstrators during a protest in New York, US, on Friday, June 24, 2022.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
People march together to protest the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health case on June 24, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
Emily Elconin/Getty Images
Abortion rights demonstrators march through the streets to protest the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health case on June 24, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
A crowd protesting the overturning of Roe V. Wade by the Supreme Court holds a rally outside the City-County Building in downtown Pittsburgh, Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Demonstrators gather at the federal courthouse following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Austin, Texas.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
An abortion-rights activist wears tape reading “second class citizen” on their mouth as they protest outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Steve Helber
A celebration outside the Supreme Court, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Washington.
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Rise4AbortionLA members protest the overturn of Roe v. Wade outside of the Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Abortion rights activists gather outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
People celebrate outside the Supreme Court, Friday, June 24, 2022, in Washington.
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Raquel Juarez protests for abortion-rights at the Utah State Capitol Friday, June 24, 2022, in Salt Lake City.
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Anti-abortion activists Maggie Donica, 21, right, and Grace Rykaczewski, 21, left, pray following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, federally protected right to abortion, in Washington, Friday, June 24, 2022.

“This is an extreme and dangerous path this court is taking us on,” he said.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade was not unexpected — a draft of the decision leaked nearly two months ago — but it still reverberated throughout Washington in what has suddenly become a new era in the country’s battle over abortion.

The White House and the Justice Department said they would look for ways to blunt the impact 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.”

Protesters convened on the Supreme Court, where a crowd of abortion-rights supporters quickly swelled to the hundreds. One chanted into a bullhorn, “legal abortion on demand” and “this decision must not stand.” Some shouted “the Supreme Court is illegitimate."

“It’s a painful day for those of us who support women’s rights,” said Laura Free, an Ithaca, New York, resident and women’s rights historian who came to Washington to do research. When she learned of the decision, she said, “I had to come here.”

A competing faction demonstrated in favor of the ruling, holding signs saying "the future is anti-abortion″ and “dismember Roe.”

Garrett Bess, with Heritage Action for America, a lobbying arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said his organization would be working in states to continue efforts to limit abortion.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacts to the Supreme Court's overruling of Roe v. Wade.

“This has been a long time coming," he said.

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 heart-wrenching” 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.

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Biden vows abortion fight, assails 'extreme' court ruling

AP-US-Supreme-Court-Abortion-Washington, 10th Ld-Writethru

Jun 24, 2022 4:21 PM - 1129 words

By CHRIS MEGERIAN, ZEKE MILLER and FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

Eds: UPDATES: With additional Biden comment, reaction. Adds more video. With AP Photos.; AP Video.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is vowing to try to preserve access to abortion after the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. He's calling for voters to elect more Democrats who would safeguard rights upended by the court’s decision. Short of that, his options are limited. Biden assailed the ruling Friday, saying other legal precedents ensuring same-sex marriage and access to birth control could also be at risk. He says, “This is an extreme and dangerous path this court is taking us on." Republicans and conservative leaders are celebrating the culmination of a decades-long campaign to undo the nationwide legalization of abortion that began with Roe v. Wade in 1973.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Friday 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 decades-long 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 “it just stuns me.”

Since 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 overturning of Roe v. Wade was not unexpected — a draft of the decision leaked nearly two months ago — but it still reverberated throughout Washington in what has suddenly become a new era in the country’s battle over abortion.

The White House and the Justice Department said they would look for ways to blunt the impact 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.”

Protesters converged on the Supreme Court, where a crowd of abortion-rights supporters quickly swelled to the hundreds. One chanted into a bullhorn, “legal abortion on demand” and “this decision must not stand.” Some shouted “the Supreme Court is illegitimate."

“It’s a painful day for those of us who support women’s rights,” said Laura Free, an Ithaca, New York, resident and women’s rights historian who came to Washington to do research. When she learned of the decision, she said, “I had to come here.”

A competing faction demonstrated in favor of the ruling, holding signs saying "the future is anti-abortion″ and “dismember Roe.”

Garrett Bess, with Heritage Action for America, a lobbying arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said his organization would be working in states to continue efforts to limit abortion.

“This has been a long time coming," he said.

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 heart-wrenching” 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.

Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, said he was disappointed that the president did not announce more concrete steps.

“He was very ambiguous about what he planned to do," he said. "There was no really decisive, strategic plan of action that the administration was going to take.”

Gostin said he’s discussed a variety of options with administration officials but believes they are “gun shy” given the potential for legal challenges that could lead to more roadblocks from a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives.

Some of Gostin’s suggestions included having Medicaid cover the cost of traveling across state lines to end pregnancies, as well as expanding access to abortion medication that can be delivered by mail.

The Rev. John Dorhauer, the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, drove from Cleveland to Washington to attend one meeting earlier this month. Another virtual meeting was held this week, featuring Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It was rather impressive to see the commitment the White House and the vice president’s office has had to gather advocates from around the country,” Dorhauer said.

But even before the ruling, there were concerns that the administration was not ready.

Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, attended a recent virtual meeting with abortion providers and said she expects “a true health crisis.”

“I think that we should have been preparing for far longer than we have been,” McNicholas said. “Do I think that they recognize that this is a problem? Yes. Do I think that they’re prepared in this moment? No.”

___

Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein, Will Weissert, Matthew Daly, Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Copyright The Associated Press
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