President Joe Biden on Tuesday afternoon will deliver a speech building on his months of pro-choice advocacy, promising to sign into law legislation codifying Roe v. Wade – protecting the right to abortion – if Democrats retain control of the House and Senate after the November midterm elections.
The New York Times reports Biden “is expected to pledge on Tuesday that the first bill he would send to Congress next year if Democrats retain House control and expand their Senate majority would be to codify abortion rights across the country, according to a Democratic official.”
“The commitment comes as the White House and Democratic candidates have been increasingly focused on protecting abortion access before the midterm elections next month, seeking to broaden support among women and independent voters. Mr. Biden said this summer that he supported ending the filibuster to protect a woman’s right to an abortion and a broader constitutional right to privacy,” The Times notes.
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The President, the White House and Democrats across the board have been working to protect reproductive rights, which the Kaiser Family Foundation last weeks reported “abortion continues to grow as a motivating issue for voters, especially among Democrats and those living in states where abortion is now illegal, the latest KFF Health Tracking Poll finds.”
“Half (50%) of voters now say the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade has made them more motivated to vote in this year’s elections, up from 43% in July shortly after the Court’s decision and from 37% in a similar question in May, prior to the decision. About two thirds of Democrats (69%), and half of independents (49%), cite the Court’s decision as a motivator, as do a third of Republicans (32%).”
The Times disagrees, claiming “it is not clear if the issue [of abortion] is resonating with voters.”
President Biden will deliver his speech at the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C. It is on his public schedule for 12:15 PM ET.
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