Biden: Texas abortion law 'blatantly violates' Roe precedent
President Joe Biden on Wednesday rebuked a Texas abortion law that bans the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, vowing that his administration would work to defend abortion rights.
“This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld as precedent for nearly half a century,” Biden said in a statement.
The Texas state law took effect early Wednesday morning after the Supreme Court decided not to act on an emergency petition from Texas abortion clinics to put the new rule on hold. The new law not only bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, but it also allows Texas citizens to sue abortion providers or anyone who helps facilitate the procedure after six weeks.
The Supreme Court could still issue a stay on the ban in the coming days.
Biden’s statement was sharply critical of the new law, saying it would “significantly impair women’s access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and individuals with low incomes.”
“My administration is deeply committed to the constitutional right established in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago and will protect and defend that right,” he said.