Photo: Reuters
In a statement, US President Joe Biden said that while he does not know whether the leaked Supreme Court draft seeking to overturn the constitutional right to abortion is genuine or final, the Biden administration is still prepared to protect abortion rights if a ruling is issued.
“I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental,” Biden wrote. He said that if the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion is overturned, elected officials will need to protect a woman’s right to choose. He also added voters should elect abortion rights candidates in November.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the draft opinion, which Politico posted on its website on Monday. The Supreme Court declined to comment.
According to the copy Politico posted, conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the draft opinion dated February 10 that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start.”
Based on Alito’s opinion, the court would find that the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed abortions performed before a fetus would be viable outside the womb — between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy — was wrongly decided because the US Constitution does not specifically mention abortion rights.
