Biden: "Protecting Abortion Rights Is a Fundamental Right for Women"... Unusual Statement on Draft Ruling

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] "I believe that a woman's right to choose is a fundamental right."

On the 3rd (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden strongly criticized the draft prepared by the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling that guaranteed women's abortion rights and indicated plans to respond.

According to the White House, President Biden issued a statement that day saying, "The Roe v. Wade ruling has been upheld in this land for 50 years," and "in terms of the basic fairness and stability of the law, (the ruling) should not be overturned."

This came after reports that the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn the ruling that had guaranteed abortion rights for 49 years. In the United States, where the separation of powers is strict, it is considered extremely unusual for the president to directly issue such a statement ahead of a Supreme Court ruling.

President Biden also instructed the White House Gender Policy Council and the Office of Legal Counsel to prepare an executive branch response to Texas's abortion ban law enacted last year, emphasizing, "We are ready to respond to any decision that is made." He also appealed for support for the Democratic Party, saying, "If the Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade ruling, all elected officials must protect women's rights, and voters must choose candidates who advocate for these rights in the November midterm elections."

Abortion rights are a representative issue divided along ideological lines in the United States. Earlier, the political media outlet Politico obtained and disclosed a draft majority opinion in which the Supreme Court decided to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that guaranteed women's abortion rights. If the Supreme Court accepts the opinion and withdraws the guarantee of abortion rights, the U.S. will allow each state to decide whether to ban abortion and set restrictions.

Following related reports, controversy over abortion rights has reignited in American society. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which supports abortion rights, criticized the draft ruling as horrific and unprecedented in a statement, pointing out that "this confirms the worst fears that the Supreme Court is preparing to end the constitutional right to abortion." On the other hand, the National Right to Life Committee, which supports abortion bans, applauded the Supreme Court's courage to overturn abortion precedents and said, "We hope the Supreme Court remains steadfast despite the leak of political motives."

In the political arena, the issue is becoming a political flashpoint ahead of the November midterm elections. President Biden's unusual statement and appeal for support that day are in this context. Vice President Kamala Harris also emphasized in a statement that "Republican legislators in states across the U.S. are weaponizing the law against women," urging women to fight using all means.

Before his visit to Alabama, President Biden told reporters, "This could mean that all other decisions related to privacy could become problematic," expressing concern that this ruling could adversely affect fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. He emphasized, "This could fundamentally shake the American legal system."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.