Biden says Supreme Court's 'tragic error' on Roe v. Wade 'must not be the final word'

President Biden says Roe v. Wade is "on the ballot" in the midterm elections after the constitutional right to abortion was officially eliminated by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Biden delivered remarks from the White House on Friday after the Supreme Court in a landmark ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, ending Americans' constitutional right to abortion access after nearly 50 years.

"It's a sad day for the court and for the country," Biden said, calling the ruling a "tragic error" that means the "health and life of women in this nation is now at risk."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The president described the decision as the culmination of an effort to "upset the balance of our law," and he urged Congress to "restore the protections of Roe v. Wade" as federal law, while also calling on Americans to vote with this in mind during this upcoming midterm elections.

"We need to restore the protections of Roe as law of the land," Biden said. "We need to elect officials who will do that. This fall, Roe is on the ballot."

Biden concluded that the decision "must not be the final word." Earlier on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Republicans in Congress "are plotting a nationwide abortion ban" and "cannot be allowed to have a majority."

Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, celebrated the court's ruling as the "biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation," which was "only made possible because I delivered everything as promised."