This archive report was first published on 2 September 2021.
President Biden Condemns Texas Abortion Law ¶
On September 2, 2021, President Biden expressed his strong opposition to the Texas abortion law, which prohibits abortion after six weeks. In a statement, he described the law as 'unconstitutional chaos' that will unleash harm against women.
The law, known as S.B. 8, makes it difficult for officials to enforce Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision that establishes the right to abortion until the point of fetal viability. The law allows anyone to bring a court case against anyone else involved in obtaining an abortion, including taxi drivers, receptionists, or relatives who provide money for the procedure.
President Biden has directed a gender-focused policy council in the White House, the Office of the White House Counsel, and the Health and Human Services and the Justice Departments to launch a whole-of-government effort to respond to the court's decision. He has vowed to investigate ways to protect existing constitutional abortion rights.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, about 70 percent of abortions in Texas in 2019 were provided to women of color. Vice President Kamala Harris pointed out that the law will disproportionately affect women of color, saying, 'Patients in Texas will now be forced to travel out of state or carry their pregnancy to term against their will.'
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote that he would have blocked the law as appeals moved forward, stating, 'The statutory scheme before the court is not only unusual, but unprecedented.'
