Biden Signs EO On Abortion Access, Slams 'Out of Control' Supreme Court

President Joe Biden said Friday (Saturday, July 9, 2022, in Manila) that congressional legislation was the quickest way to restore abortion rights in the United States, and he urged Americans to vote for pro-choice politicians in forthcoming elections to defy an "out of control" Supreme Court, Aurelia End reported for the Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Photo Insert: US President Joe Biden delivering remarks after signing the executive order protecting women's reproductive health following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade

Under pressure to take a firmer stance on safeguarding women's reproductive rights, Biden signed an executive order aimed at bolstering abortion access following the Supreme Court's "terrible, extreme" decision to abolish the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.

However, the president, whose options on the subject are limited, stated that the most effective response would be made through the ballot box in the November midterm elections, which would give him firm control of the legislature. "Vote, vote, vote," he said, specifically targeting American women.

"The fastest route to restore Roe is to pass a national law codifying Roe, which I will sign immediately upon its passage at my desk. We cannot wait," Biden said, referring to the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that established the right to abortion. If Republicans were to take control of Congress, he also vowed to veto any effort to pass a federal ban on abortion.

"We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy," he said.

Since the June 24 Supreme Court decision, Biden has faced criticism from inside his own Democratic Party for what appears to be inaction.

Following the verdict, numerous states banned or severely restricted abortion, with more expected to follow suit. Many Democrats, frequently speaking anonymously in the press, have grumbled that Biden and his team have failed to effectively respond to the Supreme Court's shocking decision

In an effort to reconcile, Biden issued an executive order on Friday to safeguard women's sensitive health-related data and "fight digital surveillance related to reproductive health care services."

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