Biden Admits There Aren’t Enough Democrats To Codify Roe V. Wade

On Monday, President Biden admitted that Democrats do not have enough support in Congress to codify Roe v. Wade and force states to allow abortions.

“Mr. President, what should Americans expect from Congress as it relates to abortion rights after the midterms?” a reporter asked.

“I don’t think they can expect much of anything other than we’re going to maintain our positions,” Biden said. “I’m not going to get into more questions.  I shouldn’t even have answered your question.”

Biden later added, “I don’t think there’s enough votes to codify [Roe v. Wade], unless something happens unusual in the House.  I think we’re going to get very close in the House.  But I don’t — I think it’s going to be very close, but I don’t think we’re going to make it.”

The admission comes Biden spent the last few weeks ahead of the midterm election promising that if Democrats retained both the House and Senate, the first piece of legislation he’d pass would be to force states to allow abortions after the Supreme Court’s June ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.

“Your right to choose rests with you. If you do your part and vote, Democratic leaders of Congress, I promise you, we’ll do our part. I’ll do my part. And with your support, I’ll sign a law codifying Roe in January​,” Biden said last month.

In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the case that legalized abortion across the country.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision, including the one on which the defenders of Roe and Casey now chiefly rely—the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” Justice Alito wrote in the 6-3 majority opinion.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division,” Alito wrote. “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”