Biden: Supreme Court 'out of control', urges voters to act in November
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US President Joe Biden called on voters to vote for "pro-choice" legislators in the coming elections to defy an "out of control" Supreme Court.
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US President Joe Biden in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 23, 2022 (AP)
President Joe Biden said Friday that federal legislation offered the shortest route to the restoration of US abortion rights and called on voters to vote for "pro-choice" legislators in the coming elections to defy an "out of control" Supreme Court.
Following pressure to take a harder line on supporting women’s reproductive rights, Biden signed an executive order that aims to shore up access to abortion after what he called the court's "terrible, extreme" decision to take away terminating a pregnancy's constitutional right.
However, having limited room for maneuver on the issue, Biden brought up November's midterm elections as the most effective response, urging people to "Vote, vote, vote," in an appeal particularly aimed at women.
"The fastest route to restore Roe is to pass a national law codifying Roe, which I will sign immediately upon its passage at my desk. We cannot wait," Biden said, referring to the Roe v Wade ruling that established the constitutional right to abortion in 1973.
Read more: US Supreme Court overturns Roe's ruling, ending abortion rights
Biden also vowed to veto any effort to pass a federal ban on abortion should Republicans take control of Congress.
"We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy," he said.
The US president has been criticized by his own Democratic Party for perceived inaction since June 24, following the Supreme Court ruling, after which several states have banned or severely restricted abortion, and others are expected to follow suit.
