WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden expressed deep concern Tuesday about the draft Supreme Court opinion that leaked Monday night and appeared to reveal that a majority of five conservative justices intend to strike down Roe v. Wade, ending nearly 50 years of federally protected abortion rights.
“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,” Biden said in a statement, although he acknowledged the authenticity of the leaked 90-page draft opinion remained unclear.
Given that the court is controlled by its six conservatives, the prospect of rescinding abortion rights and returning the decision to the states would not come as a surprise.But such a ruling, which is expected to be issued in the next two months, would deliver a cataclysmic shock to the American body politic and potentially spark a political backlash, further civil unrest and a deeper reordering of the lives of millions.
In the short term, Biden and Democrats intend to seize on the apparent overturning of Roe to galvanize voters ahead of the November midterm elections. They are desperate to motivate a base that’s been disappointed by the president’s inability to get much of his agenda through a narrowly divided Congress and to appeal to swing voters given that a solid majority of Americans support maintaining abortion rights.
