As pro-lifers across the United States celebrate life's victory through the Heartbeat law implemented in Texas this week and supported by the Supreme Court, President Joe Biden condemns the legislation out of his "deep commitment to abortion."
Biden, supposedly a "devout Catholic," called the Texas Heartbeat Act as "extreme" and a blatant violation of the constitution in a statement released on Wednesday by The White House. He said it will "impair women's access" to their health care needs while "outrageously" deputizing "private citizens" to file "lawsuits against anyone" due to an abortion.
"Today, Texas law SB8 went into effect. This extreme Texas law blatantly violates the constitutional right established under Roe v. Wade and upheld as precedent for nearly half a century. The Texas law will significantly impair women's access to the health care they need, particularly for communities of color and individuals with low incomes," Biden said.
"And, outrageously, it deputizes private citizens to bring lawsuits against anyone who they believe has helped another person get an abortion, which might even include family members, health care workers, front desk staff at a health care clinic, or strangers with no connection to the individual," he added.
The Heartbeat Texas Act came into effect last Wednesday after the Supreme Court ignored and rejected the emergency appeal of Planned Parenthood and American Civil Liberties Union to stop its implementation. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the law, which is also known as Senate Bill 8, in May as a means to safeguard the unborn from abortions on pregnancies six weeks and beyond once a heartbeat has been detected.
The pro-abortion groups immediately filed a lawsuit against the state in the district court on the basis of its alleged constitutional violations and then petitioned an emergency request on Monday to block it but the Supreme Court did not act on the request until after the law was already in effect.
Biden, who the White House tries to present as a "devout Catholic," also reinforced on Wednesday his commitment to abortion and revealed he is set to defend it. Biden initially expressed his commitment to "codifying Roe v. Wade" two days after taking seat in office, which happened to coincide with the 48th anniversary of the said U.S. Supreme Court "landmark ruling."
"My administration is deeply committed to the constitutional right established in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago and will protect and defend that right," Biden stressed.
During the 48th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Biden vowed "to eliminate" any "disparities" to maternal and infant health and marked it as an occasion to "rededicate" access to health care.
"The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to codifying Roe v. Wade and appointing judges that respect foundational precedents like Roe," Biden said. "This commitment extends to our critical work on health outcomes around the world."
The Christian Headlines reported that Vice President Kamala Harris similarly released a statement condemning Senate Bill 8, which she called an "all-out assault on reproductive health." She asserted women's rights to decide for their bodies.
"The Biden-Harris Administration will always fight to protect access to healthcare and defend a woman's right to make decisions about her body and determine her future," Harris remarked.
Harris also echoed the statement of Biden that they are set to "fight" the Texas legislation being a "significant blow" to abortion.
"Last night, the Supreme Court's decision on Texas' SB8 dealt a significant blow to Roe v. Wade. We will not stand by and allow our nation to go back to the days of back-alley abortions. We will use every lever to defend the right to safe and legal abortion. We will fight this," Harris tweeted on Thursday.
It's worth noting, however, that nowhere does it state in the U.S. Constitution that abortion is a right, earlier reports reveal.
"Nothing in the text or original understanding of the Constitution established a right to an abortion," 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge James Ho said in May.
"Rather, what distinguishes abortion from other matters of health care policy in America--and uniquely removes abortion police from the democratic process established by our Founders--is Supreme Court precedent."
