Asked what executive action he would use to boost abortion rights following the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade last week, Biden told a news conference in Madrid: “The most important thing. “We have to change – I think we have to codify Roe vs. Wade in law.” “And the way to do that is to make sure that Congress votes to do that. And if Philipbuster interferes, it’s like voting rights – we should (that) provide an exception to that … which requires an exception from the filibuster for this action to deal with the decision of the Supreme Court “, he added. The President went on to say that he was also open to changing the rules on “the right to privacy, not just abortion rights”. It is a harsh call from a President who so far hates to push for any changes to the Senate rules despite calls from progressives to remove the filmmaker in order to pass his agenda. Biden told CNN’s Anderson Cooper at a town hall last year that he would be open to changing the filmmaker to pass voting rights legislation “and maybe more.” His comments on Thursday mark the first time he has expressed an absolute willingness to eliminate the thread specifically on abortion rights.
The Senate does not have the 60 votes required to codify Roe vs. Wade under applicable rules. Major Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kirsten Cinema of Arizona have spoken out against changing the rules for the filibuster. And although Manchin is open to legislating Roe v. Wade, both senators oppose the filmmaker’s launch, their offices resumed on Thursday. The Sinema bureau cited a Washington Post article written by the senator last year in which she argued that filibuster has been used to protect abortion rights and prevent things like abortion bans for 20 weeks. So, without the support of Manchin or the Cinema, Democrats would have to sweep through the November election – when their party faces the gloomiest middle ground in 12 years – to pass abortion rights legislation. Democrat senators in Madrid as part of a congressional delegation to the NATO summit were pessimistic, noting Manchin and Sinema’s major roles in changing the rules. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the second-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, told reporters in Madrid that in a 50-50 Senate, “the idea of ​​changing the rules is really at the mercy of one or two senators who can make that decision for us.” He added that “this is not the political environment we should look for” for “mass institutional change”. “I voted for the termination (the filmmaker),” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat in New Hampshire. “It did not pass, so we can take it again, maybe not.” Despite the number of flags in the polls and the poor prospects of keeping the majority of Democrats in Parliament, the White House sees a way to win seats in the Senate to increase its narrow majority. Maintaining their current seats and adding at least two new Democratic senators could, in theory, pave the way for securing votes for a change in Senate rules. Biden’s call comes in the wake of the White House’s efforts to speed up the urgency of the midterm elections – and it comes as the National Democrats have raised growing concerns that the Biden administration is not doing enough to address and combat his decision. Supreme Court.

The behavior of the Supreme Court is “destabilizing”

Biden, speaking after a series of summits with world leaders in Europe, widely questioned the characterization that America was retreating. However, he acknowledged that the abolition of the Supreme Court over abortion rights and the right to privacy was “destabilizing”. “We have been a world leader in personal and privacy rights. And it is wrong, in my view, for the Supreme Court to do what it did,” he said. The remarks angered Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who later called the president’s remarks about the tribunal “unworthy and dangerous.” “Attacking a key American institution such as the Supreme Court from the world stage is less than the dignity of the president,” McConnell, the leading Republican in the Senate, said in a statement. “Beyond that, President Biden’s attacks on the Court of Justice are unfounded and dangerous. “On the contrary, it is behavior like that of the President that undermines equal justice and the rule of law.”

“I’m the only president they have”

During Thursday’s press conference, Biden also defended his ability to effectively convey the Democratic message of abortion. Despite his complicated history on the subject, he told progressive members of his party that they had little choice in the matter. “I’m the only president they got,” he said. Some Democrats have criticized Biden for failing to speak out more about protecting abortion rights. Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, some have complained that he is unwilling to go far enough to protect access to abortion. But Biden said it was him in the White House. “I am the President of the United States of America,” he said. “That makes me the best messenger.” He described the abortion decision as “a serious, serious problem that the court has imposed on the United States”, linking the decision to other possible issues such as marriage rights. “I feel extremely strongly that I will do everything in my power, something I can legally do in terms of enforcement orders,” he said. During a news conference Thursday, the president said he would meet with governors on Friday to discuss abortion issues and would make “announcements to make then”. This story has been updated with more from Thursday’s press conference. CNN’s Manu Raju, Lauren Fox, Ted Barrett and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.