President Biden stated on Friday that Democrats lack the numbers to change the parliamentary filibuster to enact an abortion rights law.
Biden added the party’s objective should be to gain two seats in the next midterms in order to do this.
These remarks were made by Biden only one day after he called on senators to modify the filibuster. This is a regulation that requires 60 votes in order to terminate discussion on most legislation.
This rule has to be changed in order for legislators to be able to approve legislation codifying Roe v. Wade. This historic abortion verdict was overruled by the Supreme Court last week.
BREAKING: President Biden just called on the Senate to create an exception to the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade into law.
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) June 30, 2022
During a virtual discussion with Democratic state governors on reproductive rights, President Biden made the following statement: “Ultimately, Congress is just going to have to move to codify Roe under federal statute.”
Two Extra Votes
As Biden stated, “The filibuster must not prevent us from doing this.”
Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have said they are against changing the filibuster; their spokespeople said their opinions have not changed in response to what Biden said on Thursday.
If Joe Manchin refuses to abolish the filibuster to codify Roe v. Wade, then we will expand our majority and do it without him.
— Tom Nelson (@NelsonforWI) June 29, 2022
Biden said many times on Friday that he believes Republicans would attempt to restrict abortion nationally if they win a majority in the House and Senate, following the midterm elections.
After November, “this will go in one of two directions,” the president stated.
Biden’s tone foreshadowed the White House’s midterm election messaging on abortion.
Polling data, electoral history, and the state of the economy now all point to the Democrats being in a position to suffer losses in the forthcoming congressional elections.
Still, Democrats think the issue of abortion rights could be a game-changer in the midterm elections, especially when it comes to connecting with women voters.
More From Biden
Nine Democratic governors, including Kathy Hochul of New York, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, and Roy Cooper of North Carolina, discussed the efforts they are making to defend access to abortion rights in their respective states.
Hochul, for example, talked a lot about her plans to write abortion rights into the state’s Constitution and protect clinics and women from lawsuits brought by people from outside the state.
She also suggested Biden could do something with his executive power, such as leverage government buildings like Veterans Affairs clinics to provide abortion services.
Lujan Grisham agreed with Hochul’s request for more action by the president; she said that Indian Health Service facilities could offer abortion services.
Cooper, the leader of the Democratic Governors Association, also talked about how important it is to vote for more Democrats in races for governor all over the country.
He stated governors are the final line of defense and the first chance for improvement.
