Here's How President Biden And VP Harris Responded To SCOTUS' Abortion Ruling
"It’s a sad day for the Court and for the country."
On Friday, June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe. v Wade, and impassioned reactions have been sweeping across the nation ever since. From celebrities to Twitter being flooded with statements of devastation and anger, abortion rights advocates and supporters have been speaking up. Protests erupted within hours of the decision on June 24, and both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took to the podium to share statements expressing their thoughts on the SCOTUS decision.
“Today is a … very solemn moment,” Biden spoke from the White House on June 24. “And it’s a sad day for the Court and for the country.” The President called the overturning of Roe. v Wade “a tragic error by the Supreme Court” and vowed to do “all in [his] power to protect a woman’s right in states where they will face the consequences of today’s decision.” Even the President’s power has its limitations, and no executive action can overrule the Supreme Court. Biden said the only way to “restore the protections of Roe v. Wade” is for Congress to enact abortion rights into federal law.
As of now, Congress “lacks the [votes] to do that” and the President urged people to “elect more senators and representatives who will codify a woman’s right to choose into federal law.” On Nov. 8, 2022, the midterm elections will take place where all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate are up for election — together, those two bodies form Congress. Plus, 36 out of 50 states will elect governors.
Biden’s message is clear — elect the leaders who will restore Roe v. Wade. He said, “Roe is on the ballot. Personal freedoms are on the ballot. The right to privacy, liberty, equality, they’re all on the ballot.” In his words, “you can have the final word.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, echoed Biden’s remarks with her own statement on Friday while on a trip in Plainfield, Illinois. Harris called the overturning “a healthcare crisis” because “millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning.”
She noted that “this is the first time in the history of our nation that a constitutional right has been taken from the people of America.” That right is “the right to privacy” and “the right for each person to make intimate decisions about heart and home,” Harris said.
The vice president’s closing remarks aligned with Biden’s: “You have the power to elect leaders who will defend and protect your rights,” she said. “With your vote, you can act, and you have the final word.”
With the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, advocates for reproductive rights can continue donating to a series of organizations supporting access to safe abortions. More information about state abortion laws can be found here.
