Joe Biden doesn’t want the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to have the final say on a woman’s right to choose. The president issued a heartfelt speech at the White House following the news.
“This is a sad day for the country, in my view, but it doesn’t mean the fight is over,” said Biden during his remarks.” He also expressed that his administration will double down and attempt to continue to provide access to abortions. Overall, he wants everyone to know that “this decision must not be the final word.”
He also reiterated the importance of the upcoming election, noting that Roe v. Wade will be included on the ballot in November. Both Biden and the Democratic party aim to use the ruling to encourage voter turnout during the midterms.
“This fall, Roe is on the ballot, personal freedoms are on the ballot, the right to privacy, liberty, equality are all on the ballot,” Biden continued. The Supreme Court’s stance on abortion rights follows Thursday’s (June 23) decision to strike down gun control legislation in New York. It would’ve required individuals seeking a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public to demonstrate a specific need to do so.
According to Biden, the court’s latest moves are taking the country down an “extreme and dangerous path.” He also highlighted the impact that abortion rights have on women from disproportionate communities, and called today’s ruling “cruel.”
“Make no mistake, this decision is a combination of a deliberate effort over decades to upset the balance of our law,” Biden said. “It’s a realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court, in my view. The court has done what it has never done before, expressly take away a constitutional right.”
As the U.S. prepares for a nation void of abortion rights, Biden reassured the country that his administration now looks to defend the “bedrock right” for women to travel to other states to receive the medical procedure.