President Biden on Tuesday reacted to the leaked draft of the Supreme Court’s opinion string down Roe v. Wade, saying he believes that “a woman’s right to choose is fundamental,” and arguing that “basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned,” while saying any potential final decision on the case by the high court should push voters “to elect pro-choice officials” during November’s midterm elections.
The high court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito, in an unprecedented and stunning leak from the high court.
“We do not know whether this draft is genuine, or whether it reflects the final decision of the Court,” the president said Tuesday morning. “With that critical caveat, I want to be clear on three points about the cases before the Supreme Court.”
“First, my administration argued strongly before the Court in defense of Roe v. Wade. We said that Roe is based on ‘a long line of precedent recognizing ‘the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty’… against government interference with intensely personal decisions,'” Biden said.
“I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental, Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned,” Biden said.
The president also pointed to Texas, its SB-8 law and others “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, under a variety of possible outcomes in the cases pending before the Supreme Court,” Biden said. “We will be ready when any ruling is issued.”
Biden added that if the Supreme Court “does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose.”