OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden has given his marching orders to the Democrat base of voters, begging them to give him more Democrats senators and Congressmembers.
It came during a virtual meeting with governors on Friday when he said that Congress would have to codify Roe V Wade.
“I know you’re all busy as I am. Thank you for making the time with us. I need not tell any of you we’re in a really important area here and we have to act,” he said.
“I’m joined by a group of Democratic governors as we work closely to protect women’s rights after this tragic reversal of Roe v. Wade — a terrible, extreme decision, in my view, upending the lives and impacting on the health and safety of millions of women.
“And I share the public outrage at this extremist Court that’s committed to moving America backwards with fewer rights, less autonomy, and politicians invading the most personal of decisions of not only women but we’ll find, if they expend — expand on this decision, men as well,” the president said.
“But as I said last week, this is not over. Last week, I announced two specific actions. First, if extremist governors try to block a woman from traveling from her state that prohibits her from seeking the medical help she needs to a state that provides that care, the federal government will act to protect her bedrock right through the Attorneys General’s Office.
“Second, if states try to block a woman from getting medication the FDA has already approved and has been available for more than 20 years, my administration will act and protect that woman’s right to that medication,” he said.
“And there are many other unlawful actions, in my view, that states are preparing to take that will have — we’ll have to address as well.
“But ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law. And as I said yesterday, the filibuster should not stand in the way of us being able to do that,” the president said.
:But right now, we don’t have the votes in the Senate to change the filibuster on — on — at the moment. That means we need two more votes now — not now — when we vote, probably after November — more senators and House majority — and the House majority elected in November to get this bill to my desk,” he complained.
“So, the choice is clear: We either elect federal Senators and Representatives who will codify Roe, or Republicans who will elect the House and Senate will try to ban abortions nationwide. Nationwide. This is going to go one way or the other after November.
“So let’s remember: The reasoning of this decision has an impact much beyond Roe and to the right to privacy more generally,” he said.
“Justice Thomas himself said that, under the reasoning of this decision, that the Court should reconsider marriage equality and contraception. And there’s a lot at stake.
In the meantime, I want to hear what the governors are doing, talk about my plans, and discuss what we can do as — until Congress acts. This is not over. This is not over,” he said.
The nation’s highest court voted in favor of overturning Roe v Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion.
In early May, a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito was leaked to Politico and it set off a firestorm.
“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Alito writes.
“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” he writes in the document. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
“We, therefore, hold the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. Roe and Casey must be overruled, and the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives,” Alito writes in the document, labeled the “Opinion of the Court.”
Soon after Alito’s draft majority opinion leaked, it’s assumed there were at least 5 votes in favor of overturning Roe v Wade, leaving state legislators to weigh their own abortion policies.
