Joe Biden pledged to push for the passage of a federal law recognizing abortion rights. This was announced at a Democratic National Committee event at the Howard University Theater in Washington, D.C., it will be his first bill should he win a majority of representation in the legislative chambers:
If we succeed, here's my promise to you and to the American people: The first bill I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade. And when Congress passes it, I will sign it in January, 50 years after it was decided that Roe was the law of the land.
Biden's intention comes four months after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito overturned Roe vs. Wade and ruled that abortion is not a constitutionally protected right. Joe Biden promised before the 2020 presidential election to codify an abortion law.
Under renewed pressure over high inflation and low approval ratings, U.S. President Joe Biden sought to mobilize his base by promising to sign a law to codify abortion rights if Democrats control the legislature next year https://t.co/Uu3sTCwlXj pic.twitter.com/RKaFhOnFqS
- Reuters (@Reuters) October 19, 2022
With the slogans Restore Roe ('Reset Roe') and Defend Choice ('Defending the election'), the president turns to abortion for trying to save votes in the November elections, and focus the agenda on an issue that favors Democrats, vs. the economy and inflation which favors the Republicans.
"Political malpractice"
Leading voices within the Democratic Party criticized Biden for focusing on issues such as abortion rather than on larger issues such as the economy. Given the poor economic situation under the Biden Administration, Senator Bernie Sanders called it "political malpractice" to prioritize abortion over the economy:
But, as we enter the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, I am alarmed to hear the advice many Democratic candidates are receiving from establishment consultants and directors of well-funded Super Pacs that the Democrats' closing argument should focus only on abortion. I believe that if the Democrats do not fight on economic issues and present a strong pro-worker agenda, they could well be in the minority in both the House and Senate next year.
In the same vein was political consultant James Carville, who believes it is a mistake to focus an election campaign on abortion:
Many of these consultants think that if all we do is run ads on abortion, we will win. I don't think so. It is a good topic. But if you sit there, and they hammer you with crime and hammer you with the cost of living, you have to be more aggressive than screaming abortion every other word.
"Extremist Republicans."
During the event, the president again called Republicans, who defend the right to life, "extremists". He noted that it is "critical" to vote Democratic in the midterm elections to veto Republican legislation:
If Republicans get their way with a national ban, it won't matter where you live in the United States. So let me be very clear. If such a bill were to pass in the next few years, I will veto it.
Last week, during a meeting with pro-abortion officials and activists, Biden attacked and labeled as "extremists" Republican states that passed pro-life laws after the repeal of the ruling. Roe vs. Wade.
Abortion, the issue of the least concern
According to a survey, Americans rate abortion as one of the least relevant issues addressed in the election campaigns of the two major parties. Six in ten (62%) think abortion is their biggest concern. Ahead of him, crime (69%), inflation (76%), the education system (77%) and the economy (89%) were ranked as the four big issues in need of better policies and laws.
After abortion, only the migration crisis (61%) and climate change (50%) were found to be less important.
