President Joe Biden has issued a response to a document leaked from the Supreme Court that suggests the high court has decided to strike down Roe v. Wade, the 1973 seminal precedent that made abortion legal throughout the United States.
The statement also notes the administration’s efforts to prepare to respond to state-level laws limiting abortions saying, “we will be ready when any ruling is issued.”
Finally, Biden’s statement calls for legislation codifying Roe v. Wade should its ruling be overturned.
“It will fall on our nation’s elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman’s right to choose,” the statement reads.
Members of Congress are also issuing statements on the leaked Supreme Court opinion—with Democrats joining the president in decrying efforts to overturn Roe while Republicans condemning what would be an unprecedented breach of Supreme Court protocol if the document is genuine and it was in fact leaked.
“If the reports are true, overturning Roe v. Wade would be a major victory for the Pro Life movement and protecting the unborn. However, the leak of the Supreme Court opinion is an inexcusable breach of trust,” wrote Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) on Twitter, adding that “integrity and respect for our most precious institutions is eroding and that should be unacceptable by all.”
“Reversing the long-settled protections in Roe is outrageous. Every woman in America deserves the chance to make their own reproductive health care choices,” wrote Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) adding, “should this decision become law, roughly half the states in our country will make all or nearly all abortions illegal, leading to gross inequalities in health care access.”
