United States President Joe Biden pledged that if Democrats can take the majority of Congress after the midterms, he would make abortion rights law a reality.
The Democratic leader made the comments during an event hosted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Biden's promise now raises the stakes for the midterm elections for the left, just three weeks before the deciding vote, as the Democrats' congressional majority is in trouble amid rising Republican popularity.
Abortion Rights Law
President Biden said that if Democrats are able to maintain control of the House and increase the party's ranks in the Senate, he would follow through with his pledge. He added, "We can do this if we vote," as per the Washington Post.
Since the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Biden has increasingly escalated his criticism of Republicans over abortion rights. He predicted that there will be a massive surge of voter activity in the midterms that would push back against the decision, particularly from women voters.
The president had also argued that abortion will only be the start of the GOP's attempts to dial back rights. He warned that protections for contraceptives and same-sex marriage could soon be the next targets.
There have already been more than a dozen states that passed near-total bans on abortion, but some have been blocked by courts, and more are planning to implement new laws when their legislatures reconvene in January next year.
According to Politico, in Biden's Tuesday speech, he warned that Republican lawmakers ban a national ban that would criminalize doctors for performing abortion procedures. He noted that the GOP was doubling down on its extreme positions, adding that Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader of the House, said that their work was far from done.
President Jo Biden's Pledges
Despite the backlash to the abortion ruling resulting in large gains for Democrats in special elections, the left fear that they may be losing momentum with midterm voters and that they would be left incapable of countering the headwinds caused by rising inflation.
Anti-abortion groups, in response to President Biden's speech, urged GOP candidates, including many who have stayed quiet on the issue in recent months, to "keep going on offense." The president of March for Life, Jeanne Mancini, said that it was time for Americans to hold pro-abortion politicians accountable.
On the other hand, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, listed the top Democratic gubernatorial and Senate candidates her group plans to target by linking them to Biden's remarks. Among these lawmakers were Stacey Abrams, Raphael Warnock, Mark Kelly, Katie Hobbs, Catherine Cortez Masto, and John Fetterman.
Back in his 2020 campaign, Biden called for codifying Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed a federal Constitutional right to abortion. But the Supreme Court transformed access to reproductive health care in the country with its ruling earlier this year.
However, Biden has not been able to fulfill his promise of prioritizing the restoration of Roe mainly because he needs more than just a simple majority in the Senate to overcome the chamber's filibuster rules, CNN reported.
Related Article: Lee Zeldin Endorsed by Trump for New York Governor as Democratic Stronghold's Race Tightens
