Biden spoke from the White House about how he plans to make sure Americans can still get abortions, even after the decades-old guarantee of abortion rights is repealed, paving the way for many states to ban or restrict the practice. procedure. He has not supported more drastic steps proposed by progressive activists, such as increasing the number of justices on the Supreme Court in an effort to rebalance it from the conservative majority. The president on Friday said that overturning Roe “was not a constitutional crisis. It was an exercise of brute political power.” Biden added: “We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court working in concert with extremist elements of the Republican party to take away our freedoms and personal autonomy.” Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in attendance at the event, will meet later Friday with state legislative leaders who support abortion rights in states where stricter restrictions are emerging. Biden has pledged to push for a national law protecting abortion rights, but it’s unclear whether he has the votes in Congress to pass such a bill. On Friday, he urged Americans to vote in November’s midterm elections, where Democrats are expected to suffer significant losses, to help bolster the number of pro-choice members of Congress to have enough support to codify Roe into federal law. . “This is the fastest route available [to restore Roe]Biden said. “The court is now practically daring the women of America to go to the polls and restore the very rights they have just taken away.” Passage of a federal law would require a Senate filibuster override, which usually requires a 60-vote supermajority to overcome. Biden, who has previously been reluctant to overhaul Senate rules for passing legislation along party lines, said he would support overriding the filibuster ruling in this case. Doing so would require the votes of Democratic senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who have previously opposed any such attempt. Friday’s order, which will largely be carried out by Health Minister Xavier Becerra, includes expanding access to abortion pills, demand for which has soared since last month’s decision. Some Republican states have restricted their use by requiring a doctor to be present when taking them, which prohibits them from being prescribed via telehealth. Biden also said his administration would convene teams of volunteer lawyers to help fight legal cases on behalf of people seeking reproductive health care. The government has previously threatened to sue any state that attempts to prevent a woman traveling across its borders from obtaining an abortion. He asked the Federal Trade Commission to consider ways to protect the privacy of people researching abortion services online, amid concerns that online data could be used against abortion seekers in any prosecution. Many in the Democratic party want Biden to be more combative. Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan, this week asked the administration for clarity on whether people in her state will be allowed to bring abortion pills across the border from Canada. Polls show the Supreme Court decision has galvanized Democrats ahead of the November midterms. “It is my hope and strong belief that women will actually step up in record numbers to claim the rights that have been taken away from them by the court,” Biden said Friday.
