Biden pledged to protect the abortion pill

Biden pledged to protect the abortion pill.

In a virtual conference with Democratic governors on Friday, President Biden promised to defend women’s access to abortion pills and said the struggle is “not over.” The gathering will take place one week after the Supreme Court declares that abortion is not a constitutional right.

The president made a few brief remarks before listening to nine governors: New York’s Kathy Hochul, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, New Mexico’s Michelle Lujan Grisham, Connecticut’s Ned Lamont, Colorado’s Jared Polis, Illinois’ J.B. Pritzker, Washington’s Jay Inslee, Oregon’s Kate Brown, and Rhode Island’s Daniel McKee.

The president stated on Friday, “I share the popular fury about this radical court devoted to taking America backward.” But this is not over, as I noted last week.

The president said that his government would take action to defend the “fundamental rights” of women seeking abortion care outside of their home state. Additionally, he added, the administration would safeguard women’s access to medical abortion drugs that the Food and Drug Administration has long authorized.

In a message to governors on Friday, the president said, “If states attempt to stop a woman from accessing medicine the FDA has previously authorized, and that has been accessible for more than 20 years, my administration will intervene and safeguard that woman’s right to that medication.”

The president conceded that, at the moment, he does not have enough support in the Senate to end the filibuster and codify federal abortion rights. However, to get a law on his desk, he said that the GOP needed more votes in the Senate during the midterm elections.

The future of same-sex weddings and privacy were mentioned as examples of how Mr. Biden forewarned that the effects of the court’s Roe decision would go beyond abortion.

New York is “prepared to serve as a destination” and “safe harbor” for women, according to Hochul, the first governor to comment.

According to Hochul, only a “handful of states” will now be in charge of protecting American women’s reproductive rights.

Instead, she asked the Biden administration to utilize military installations and hospitals run by the Veterans Administration to provide abortion services in places where it is illegal.

In his response to Hochul, Mr. Biden shifted his focus back to the need for “people to vote,” asserting that it is probable that a Republican-controlled Congress would approve a national abortion ban.