Biden says ‘health and life of women’ is at risk after Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade

By Kate Sullivan, CNN

    (CNN) -- President Joe Biden said Friday that "the health and life of women in this nation are now at risk" after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion.

"It's a sad day for the court and for the country," Biden said, speaking from the White House.

The White House has been bracing for the ruling from the nation's highest court, which was announced Friday morning, and has been planning next steps for months.

While there is little the President can do through executive action to fully mitigate the decision -- and virtually nothing he can do to restore the nationwide right to an abortion -- there are a number of steps Biden has been weighing in consultation with policy aides, political advisers and lawyers.

Some of the options the President has been considering include eliminating barriers to accessing medication abortion and challenging state laws that criminalize out-of-state travel to receive an abortion, CNN has reported. The President could also declare a public health emergency, which could shield doctors from legal liability if they treat patients in states where they are not licensed.

The President has also called for Congress to pass legislation codifying Roe v. Wade, but Democrats currently don't have the votes in the Senate to send such legislation to Biden's desk.

The President said earlier this month he believed that if the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, it would spur a "mini revolution" and propel Americans to vote many Republicans out of office in this year's midterm elections.

Democratic officials and abortion rights groups expressed outrage in response to Friday's ruling.

The-CNN-Wire
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