Status: 07/08/2022 10:01 p.m
US President Biden issued a decree to protect women’s rights after the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights. But it is unclear how effective the decree can actually be.
US President Joe Biden wants to mitigate the consequences of the repeal of abortion rights with a regulation. He linked the signing of the decree with harsh criticism of the “extreme” conservative majority of judges on the Supreme Court, which overturned abortion rights two weeks ago.
Among other things, the ordinance is intended to ensure access to medical abortions and emergency medical care for women and to better protect their data, for example when they find out about abortions. In addition, the Justice Department and the White House Legal Department are to establish a team of attorneys who will provide free counsel or representation to women who face legal difficulties over an abortion. The penalties that women face in some states if they have an abortion are also to be mitigated by Biden’s so-called Executive Order.
Effect of the decree unclear
Two weeks ago, the US Supreme Court overturned the almost 50-year right to abortion, arguing that it was not enshrined in the constitution. Since there is no statewide law protecting this right, it is now up to the states to legislate – and Biden’s decree does not change that.
It is therefore unclear how much the decree will really bring and whether the states can at least partially circumvent it with laws. Several states have already banned or severely restricted abortion or are preparing to do so.
Biden is under pressure…
Biden has recently come under pressure within his party to do more to protect abortion rights. For example, there have been calls for his government to attempt to set up abortion clinics in federal territory because state laws do not apply there. However, the White House has legal concerns about this.
… and sees an election campaign issue
Instead, Biden is relying on being able to mobilize with the topic in the upcoming congressional elections in the fall. He hopes for a sufficient majority with which his Democrats could enshrine the right to abortion in a nationwide law. “I really hope and believe that women will actually go to the polls in record numbers to reclaim the rights that were taken away from them by the court,” Biden said. However, current polls assume that the Republicans will win in the congressional elections.
Right Majority in the Supreme Court
Biden again violently attacked the Supreme Court with its arch-conservative majority. “The court has made it clear that it will not protect women’s rights,” he said. It makes its decisions on the basis of an interpretation of the constitution that has stood still – when women did not even have the right to vote.
The Supreme Court has a conservative majority of six to three judges – several are considered ultra-conservative and very religious. Many of them want to interpret the country’s constitution as they believe it was intended by the founding fathers when it was enacted more than 200 years ago.