In a speech to NATO leaders in Madrid, President Joe Biden criticized the “outrageous behavior” of the U.S. Supreme Court and called on the Senate to change the filibuster to allow a simple majority to codify Roe v. Wade and other essential rights to privacy into federal law.
His remarks are being hailed as an important step to protect a woman’s right to choose abortion, but also to protect the right of intimate relationships and the right of same-sex couples to marry. This is the first time he has called to change the filibuster to protect abortion and privacy rights. He previously called to change the filibuster to protect voting rights.
President Biden, responding to reporters’ questions at a news conference, stressed the need to codify the “right to privacy, not just abortion rights.”
“I believe we have to codify Roe v. Wade into law,” the President said. “And the way to do that is to make sure that Congress votes to do that. And if the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting rights. It should be we provide an exception for this, require an exception to the filibuster for this action to deal with the Supreme Court decision.”
“Right to Privacy, not just abortion rights, but yes, abortion rights,” he added.
“The one thing that has been destabilizing is the outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States,” Biden also told world leaders. “And overruling not only Roe v. Wade, but essentially challenging the right to privacy. We’ve been a leader in the world in terms of personal rights and privacy. rights. And it is a mistake, in my view for the Supreme Court to do what it did.”
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