Biden slams Republicans on abortion rights a year after Roe repeal
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[June 24, 2023]
By Nandita Bose and Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday marked the
one-year anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling overturning the right to
an abortion by telling a rally of abortion-rights supporters that
Republicans will regret their efforts to limit reproductive rights.
"The majority wrote, 'Women are not without an electoral or political
power.' You ain't seen nothing yet," Biden said of the Supreme Court's
landmark Dobbs decision. "Make no mistake: this election is about
freedom on the ballot once again."
Biden made the remarks at a rally as he picked up three endorsements
from reproductive rights groups: Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL
Pro-Choice America and EMILY's List. The endorsements were expected, and
Democrats predict the issue will galvanize voters in 2024 when Biden
runs for re-election.
Also on Friday, Biden signed an executive order designed to protect and
expand access to contraception, a right he has said also may come under
assault from his political opponents.
Over the past year, Biden has signed multiple executive orders aimed at
shoring up access to abortion rights, including the ability to access
abortion pills or travel out of states that have banned the procedures.
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Vice President Kamala Harris, who also attended the rally, has taken a
key role on the issue, traveling around the country to meet with state
legislators, local leaders and advocates.
Just a mile away from the abortion rights rally, Republican presidential
candidates including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice
President Mike Pence praised restrictions on such rights in remarks to a
deeply religious crowd at the Faith & Freedom Coalition event.
Biden's campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said the organizing
power of the three abortion rights groups was essential to Democrats'
strong performance in the 2022 midterms and will be again.
"MAGA Republicans promising a national abortion ban makes the stakes for
reelecting President Biden and Vice President Harris all the more
important," she said in a statement, referring to former President
Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel issued a
statement calling Biden's views on the issue "completely out of touch
with Americans."
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![](../images/062423PIX/news_p91.jpg)
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers
remarks as he participates in a political event with reproductive
rights groups at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, U.S., June 23,
2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Jun/24/images/ads/current/heartlandcollege_lda_060123.jpg)
McDaniel said "Republicans must go on offense on this issue, expose
their Democrat opponents’ extremism, and continue to fight for
commonsense pro-life protections that we know Americans firmly
support."
Biden has also received early endorsements from labor unions and
environmental groups, consolidating support, discouraging
challengers from within his own party, building coalitions and
starting fundraising and advertising drives around issues that are
key to getting Democratic voters to the polls in 2024.
The June 24, 2022, Dobbs decision struck down the 1972 Roe v. Wade
ruling that had largely protected abortion rights in the U.S.
In last November's congressional elections, Republicans narrowly won
control of the House of Representatives but fell short of
expectations. Democrats retained narrow control of the Senate.
Strategists in both parties have attributed Democratic strength in
2022, in part, to higher support from people who back abortion
rights.
Some Republicans have called on party leaders to soften their stance
on the issue in a bid to win over swing voters in competitive
elections.
Some 64% of respondents in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in May said they
were less likely to support a presidential candidate who backed laws
severely restricting abortion, compared to 36% who said they were
more likely to back such a candidate.
The biggest expansions of abortion rights over the past year
occurred in states, including Michigan and Minnesota, where
Democrats control both the legislature and the governor's office.
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(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Steve Holland in Washington;
Additional reporting by Gram Slattery; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt
and David Gregorio)
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