After the Supreme Court overturned the landmark bill on women’s reproductive health and ratified the Mississippi law banning abortions after 15 weeks, some Republicans in the House who oppose abortion rights are pushing for a ban on abortion. at 15 weeks.
Such legislation does not currently have the 60 votes needed to pass such a Senate ban, but pushing for such a ban is a remarkable effort as Republicans have a strong chance of regaining control of Parliament in this year’s interim term. . House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy voiced support for the idea Friday, and former Vice President Mike Pence praised the court in a statement and also backed a 15-week nationwide ban.
The director of the White House Policy Council, Jen Klein, criticized such efforts on Monday.
The director of the White House Gender Policy Council, Jen Klein. (Ron Sachs / CNP / Bloomberg / Getty images)
“Vice President Pence and Republican leader McCarthy have already announced their support for a nationwide abortion ban passed by Congress. No woman in any state – no matter how much in favor of the choice of the state – would have the right to choose. Abortion would be illegal everywhere. The pro-MAGA agenda for selection never concerned the rights of “states”. “This has always been about depriving women of their rights, in every single state,” Klein told CNN in a statement.
As President Joe Biden and other top officials called on Americans to cast their ballots at the ballot box in November, Klein framed the choice in stern terms, offering a preview of White House messages on the subject.
“So let’s be clear, this happens in two ways: We have either a House and a Senate that puts Roe in federal law or a House and Senate that promote ultra-MAGA policies that deprive women in all 50 states. “Congress will either protect women everywhere or take away their rights everywhere.”
Klein was among the White House officials who led the White House response to the Supreme Court ruling, forming an interdepartmental working group and shaping the administration’s approach to key stakeholders. As Biden travels abroad for major summits this week, Klein will be among top government officials trying to speak out after the decision this week.
The sharp language comes as Biden has begun to create contradictions in his intermediate messages, following the “super-MAGA agenda” of the right compared to his policies. The president outlined the steps his government is taking at the federal level as the White House continues to push Democrats to do more.
“This decision should not be the final word,” Biden said in a statement from the White House foyer on Friday. “My government will use all its proper legal powers. Congress must act. And your vote? Can you have the final say? This is not over.”
The steps he described in his remarks – expanding access to medical abortion and ensuring women can cross state borders to have abortions – were the main focus of his group after dozens of talks with advocates and human rights experts. abortions in the last two months.
CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Manu Raju and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
