Joe Biden signs executive order to protect US abortion right and defend against criticism

US President Joe Biden on Friday urged voters, especially women, to vote massively in the upcoming midterm legislative elections in December to counter an “out of control” Supreme Court and “extremist” initiatives.

“For God’s sake, there are elections in November, vote, vote, vote!” the president said in a short and harsh speech to the White House.

This intervention, whose pretext was the signature of a decree on a series of regulatory measures very limited in scope, it was mainly for Biden an attempt to gain a foothold in the face of persistent criticism from their own ranks.

Many Democrats and activists believe the president and his administration, which appeared unnerved by a predictable Supreme Court decision against the right to abortion on June 24, should do more or at least be more politically aggressive.

Some believe that neither Biden nor his advisors are up to the task of this historic turning point of the highest court, which has become very conservative.

Biden said he was convinced that a “record number” of American women will vote in the November elections to renew Congress, when polls show that the Democratic Party is in serious danger of losing a majority.

“This is the fastest way” to restore abortion rights across the country, through federal law, he said.

“Extremist Project”

After the Supreme Court ruling, seven conservative states have banned access voluntary termination of pregnancy and it is likely that many others will follow in his footsteps.

In the speech, Biden attacked an “out of control” Supreme Court, which ended the constitutional right to abortion that all Americans had since 1973, and against the “extremist” positions of the Republican Party.

If the Republicans win the election and pass a law banning abortion across the country, the Democratic president has promised he will oppose his veto.

“Now is the time to protect the nation from an extremist project,” which could also question the right to contraception or same-sex marriage, he said.

The 79-year-old Democrat also said he was deeply moved by the case, revealed in the press, of a 10-year-old girl who became pregnant after a rape and was forced to leave her state, Ohio, to terminate the pregnancy.

“10 years, 10 years”, he repeated. “Put yourself in that girl’s shoes!” she pointed out.

new standards

Biden then signed an executive order with a series of initiatives to protect access to abortionwhich, among other things, seeks to “protect sensitive health information” and “combat digital surveillance”.

Many activists warn of the danger of online data, from geolocation to apps to track menstrual cycles, which could be used to prosecute women who have abortions.

The text signed this Friday also provides protect mobile clinics that carry out abortions outside the states that have banned it.

The White House also wants to ensure access to contraception, particularly the morning-after pill and intrauterine device (IUD).

The US government also plans to organize a network of volunteer lawyers to help women on the legal front.

These ads are limited in scopegiven that the president has little room for maneuver against the Supreme Court and hostile states when he lacks a solid parliamentary majority.

At the same time, Biden calls on his compatriots to vote massively for Democrats in November’s legislative elections.

Its goal: to gain broad Congressional scrutiny to pass a federal abortion rights law that would override state decisions.

Many Democrats fear that this attempt at electoral mobilization, coming from an unpopular president in a country with runaway inflation, will fail, which is what really worries the population.

Beyond the right to abortion, some wonder if Biden, a centrist, is the ideal person to deal with.an increasingly difficult lawin a tense political climate.

Just read the editorials of the last few days, even in supposedly progressive or center-left newspapers: “Is Joe Biden the wrong president at the wrong time?” He asked recently. The Washington Post. “Is Biden a man of his time?” was read in The Atlantic.

Will a decree suffice to stifle political reproaches?

Source: AFP

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