President Biden on Friday turned the Supreme Court’s abortion decision into a campaign rallying cry for his party, urging voters to flood the polls and give Congress the needed votes to “restore the protections” from the now-defunct Roe v Wade.
He said his hands are tied at the executive level but promised: “This decision is not the final word.”
“Voters need to make their voices heard. This fall we must elect more senators and representatives who can codify the woman’s right to choose into federal law,’ Mr. Biden said from the White House. “Congress must act. With your vote, you can have the final word.”
Mr. Biden lamented the 6-3 ruling that overturned the 1973 Roe decision as an ideological remnant of his Republican predecessor.
“It was three justices, named by one president, Donald Trump, who was at the core of today’s decision to upend the scales of justice and eliminate the fundamental rights of women in this country,” he said.
“Make no mistake, this decision is the culmination of a deliberate effort over decades to upset the balance of our law,” he said. “It’s a realization of extreme ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court.”
SEE ALSO: Pelosi vows that Roe is on the ballot in November
“This is an extremely dangerous path the court has now taken us on,” he added.
Washington has been on edge awaiting the ruling since a draft decision was leaked and published by Politico.
It was the first time a full draft opinion has been leaked in the Supreme Court’s 233-year history.
Pro-choice protesters, enraged by the expected overturning of Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide, have shown up outside the houses of conservative justices.
Crowds gathered outside of the Supreme Court on Friday — both to protest and to celebrate
Mr. Biden also appealed to the nation to remain peaceful in the wake of the decision.
SEE ALSO: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, national abortion right
“I call on everyone, no matter how deeply they care about this decision, to keep all protests peaceful,” he said. “No intimidation. Violence is never acceptable.”
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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