With the US Supreme Court's draft bill on the landmark judgement that guarantees the right to abortion spurring political and social resistance, President Joe Biden on Wednesday, 4 May asserted that he will defend the historic ruling, stressing that "a woman’s right to choose is fundamental."
Published first by Politico, the document written by Justice Samuel Alito Jr has stated that a majority of the court has voted to overrule the Roe V Wade decision, arguing that it was "egregiously wrong from the start."
"Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned...We will be ready when any ruling is issued."US President Joe Biden
The US President's statement on the 'reported Supreme Court decision draft' urged voters to elect pro-choice officials in November, and appealed to the elected officials to defend abortion and reproductive rights at the federal level.
Vice President Kamala Harris echoed Biden's concerns, saying that the "opponents of Roe want to punish women and take away their rights to make decisions about their own bodies."
Saying that the 50-year-old legislation protects the fundamental right to privacy at its root, Harris' statement reads:
If the right to privacy is weakened, every person could face a future in which the government can potentially interfere in the personal decisions you make about your life... This is the time to fight for women and our country with everything we have.US VP Kamala Harris
Weighing in on the polarising issue, former US President Barack Obama also indicated that he would fight to preserve the right, and urged people to joint activists fighting for the cause.
"If the Supreme Court ultimately decides to overturn the landmark case of Roe v. Wade, then it will not only reverse nearly 50 years of precedent – it will relegate the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues," his joint statement with Michelle Obama read.
Democrat Bernie Sanders, reiterating his support for the judgement, also took to Twitter to say, "Congress must pass legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade as the law of the land in this country NOW. And if there aren’t 60 votes in the Senate to do it, and there are not, we must end the filibuster to pass it with 50 votes."
Calling the decision 'outrageous', Senator Hillary Clinton underlined that 'an extreme wing of the Supreme Court' is looking to deny the fundamental truth the women's right are human rights.
"They may try to force their views on a country where 70% of people want Roe upheld. We will not be quiet and we will not go back," the Senator wrote on Twitter.
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