At a meeting scheduled 100 days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, President Joe Biden announced new guidelines to protect abortion and reproductive rights across the country.
The president said he believed the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case was “wrongly decided.”
More than a dozen states have passed laws banning or limiting access to abortion since the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision on June 24.
The president said he would urge Congress to codify the protection of Roe v. Wade into law, and that his administration would do everything possible to protect women’s rights to travel to states where abortion was legal.
“We’re not going to stand by and let Republicans across the country carry out extreme policies,” Biden said.
He also condemned Republicans’ efforts to pass federal legislation that prohibits or limits access to abortion. “Congress Republicans are doubling down on their extreme position with a proposal for a national ban,” Biden said. “It means that even if you live in a state where extremist Republican officials are not in charge, your right to choose is still in jeopardy.”
“Many of these laws would turn doctors into criminals just for treating a patient,” the president said. Biden gave an example of this in Arizona, where a judge last week reinstated an abortion ban as a result of a law passed in 1864.
“Two days after it went into effect, a young 14-year-old girl suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis was initially unable to get a refill for her prescription — the drug she’d been taking for years to deal with her illnesses,” Biden said. . “Because of the concern that that drug could be used to abort a pregnancy. And that’s exactly what we were afraid of.’
Biden also denounced a recent report that the University of Idaho told staff they could be fired for promoting contraception.
‘People, what century are we living in?’ asked the chairman.
“It is clear that the Dobbs ruling has spread fear and confusion on our university campuses,” said Education Minister Miguel Cardona. Cardona agreed with the president, saying he was concerned about the impact of the aftermath of the Dobbs decision on students.
“Students need access to health care to thrive in school and in life,” he said.
Before closing the meeting to the press, Biden offered a two-pronged message to the American people. First, we’re behind you. We’re not going to part with this. And secondly, we’ve heard your voices.’
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