On Tuesday morning, President Joe Biden issued a statement outlining his administration’s response to the report that the United States Supreme Court has allegedly voted to overturn Roe v. Wade via its opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case that is scheduled to be announced in June. Biden’s statement didn’t remark on the unprecedented and controversial nature of the draft leaking in the first place.
Late Monday evening, The Daily Wire reported that SCOTUS has voted to strike down the controversial Roe v. Wade decision, according to an initial draft of the majority opinion obtained by Politico.
In response, Biden cautioned the pro-abortion supporters, “We do not know whether this draft is genuine, or whether it reflects the final decision of the Court.”
“With that critical caveat, I want to be clear on three points about the cases before the Supreme Court,” he added.
The president, who has voiced his support for upholding Roe, issued a three-point plan for protecting the so-called right to abortion in America.
“First, my administration argued strongly before the Court in defense of Roe v. Wade. We said that Roe is based on ‘a long line of precedent recognizing ‘the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty’… against government interference with intensely personal decisions,” Biden said in his statement. “I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental, Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned.”
He also stated that he called upon the White House Gender Policy Counsel to “prepare options” if the purported ruling actually comes down in June.
“Second, shortly after the enactment of Texas law SB 8 and other laws restricting women’s reproductive rights, I directed my Gender Policy Council and White House Counsel’s Office to prepare options for an Administration response to the continued attack on abortion and reproductive rights, under a variety of possible outcomes in the cases pending before the Supreme Court. We will be ready when any ruling is issued,” he stated.
Lastly, Biden called upon all pro-choice federal elected officials to work to codify the right to abortion into federal law.
“Third, if the Court does overturn Roe, it will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose,” he added. “And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law.”
The full statement can be read here:
My statement on the reported Supreme Court decision draft. pic.twitter.com/Kt3bP0kzqU
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 3, 2022
Biden didn’t mention that the leak of the opinion draft itself was unprecedented. Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro surmised on Monday evening that “The perverse attempt to create public pressure against the Court by leaking this opinion should be prosecutable. It’s absolutely unprecedented.”
The perverse attempt to create public pressure against the Court by leaking this opinion should be prosecutable. It's absolutely unprecedented.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 3, 2022
It is unclear what actions — if any — will be taken against the leaker.
This is a developing news story; please check back for updates.