Scroll To Top
News

Biden on Today's SCOTUS Decision: 'This is Not Over'

Protesters outside the U.S. Supreme Court reacting to the overturning of Roe v Wade next to President Joseph R. Biden holding a microphone looking emotional

President Joe Biden criticized today's ruling by the Supreme Court which stripped away the constitutional right to an abortion.

Cwnewser
Support The Advocate
LGBTQ+ stories are more important than ever. Join us in fighting for our future. Support our journalism.

President Joe Biden addressed the cameras this afternoon to criticize the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade.

Biden said that the U.S. government had stripped Americans of a constitutional right for the first time in history.

"Today, the Supreme Court of the United States expressly took away a Constitutional right from the American people that it had already recognized. They didn't limit it. They simply took it away," he said.

During his speech, he discussed how women were allowed to make decisions about their body autonomy based on their choices and discussions with their doctors for nearly 50 years.

"Now with Roe gone, let's be very clear. The health and life of women in this nation are now at risk," Biden said.

During his tenure as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden confirmed many justices who upheld Roe v. Wade, according to the president.

"It was three justices named by one president, Donald Trump, who were at the core of today's decision to upend the scales of justice and eliminate a fundamental right for women in this country," Biden said.

He warned that today's ruling would have immediate consequences.

"State laws banning abortion are automatically taking effect today, jeopardizing the health of millions of women," Biden said. "So extreme that women could be punished for protecting their health. So extreme that women and girls are forced to bear their rapist's child."

The rationale behind today's decision is partly based on laws passed in the 1800s, he commented. "The Court [is] literally taking America back 150 years," Biden said. "This is a sad day for the country, in my view."

Related -- Check out more of the Advocate's news coverage on Pride Today:

In his address, the president called on lawmakers to restore women's rights.

"The only way we can secure a woman's right to choose...is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade as federal law," Biden said while calling for voters to elect more Democrats.

"This fall, Roe is on the ballot," Biden said. "Personal freedoms are on the ballot. The right to privacy, liberty, equality -- they're all on the ballot."

Women who live in states that do not allow abortion can still travel to states that provide such medical care.

Additionally, he noted that overturning Roe affects all Americans since the ruling protected privacy rights and other crucial protections.

"The right to make the best decisions for your health. The right to use birth control...the right to marry the person you love," he said.

Biden took a particular exception to the language used by Justice Clarence Thomas.

"He explicitly called to consider the right of marriage equality, the right of couples to make their choices on contraception," Biden said.

"With this decision, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is. How far removed they are from the majority of this county. They made the united states an outlier among developed nations in the world. But this decision must not be the final word," Biden went on.

"It just stuns me," Biden said, seemingly exasperated. "This is not over."

Cwnewser
The Advocates with Sonia BaghdadyOut / Advocate Magazine - Jonathan Groff & Wayne Brady

From our Sponsors

Most Popular

Latest Stories

Christopher Wiggins

Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).
Christopher Wiggins is a senior national reporter for The Advocate. He has a rich career in storytelling and highlighting underrepresented voices. Growing up in a bilingual household in Germany, his German mother and U.S. Army father exposed him to diverse cultures early on, influencing his appreciation for varied perspectives and communication. His work in Washington, D.C., primarily covers the nexus of public policy, politics, law, and LGBTQ+ issues. Wiggins' reporting focuses on revealing lesser-known stories within the LGBTQ+ community. Key moments in his career include traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris and interviewing her in the West Wing about LGBTQ+ support. In addition to his national and political reporting, Wiggins represents The Advocate in the White House Press Pool and is a member of several professional journalistic organizations, including the White House Correspondents’ Association, Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, and Society of Professional Journalists. His involvement in these groups highlights his commitment to ethical journalism and excellence in the field. Follow him on X/Twitter @CWNewser (https://twitter.com/CWNewser) and Threads @CWNewserDC (https://www.threads.net/@cwnewserdc).