President Joe Biden took to Twitter Friday to state he “will not stand for” the 15-week abortion ban approved by the Republican-led Florida legislature Thursday night.
“Last night, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a dangerous bill that will severely restrict women’s access to reproductive health care,” Biden posted. “My Administration will not stand for the continued erosion of women’s constitutional rights.”
Last night, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a dangerous bill that will severely restrict women’s access to reproductive health care. My Administration will not stand for the continued erosion of women’s constitutional rights.
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 4, 2022
The legislation, which would ban abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy, is modeled after the Mississippi law that is the focus of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case awaiting a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, and one that poses the most significant challenge in decades to the right to abortion created by the court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade.
The Florida bill contains no exceptions for rape or incest, but allows for abortions necessary to save the life of the mother, to “avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function of the pregnant woman other than a psychological condition,” or if two physicians certify the unborn baby has a “fatal fetal abnormality.”
Florida currently allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Thank you to the Florida House and Senate members who worked together and delivered a bill to ban abortion after 15 weeks. We look forward to this being signed into law. pic.twitter.com/QeIPxQdtHL
— Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) March 4, 2022
A recently released Knights of Columbus/Marist Poll found 71 percent of Americans support restrictions on abortion, including 49 percent of Democrats, 93 percent of Republicans, and 70 percent of Independents.
Planned Parenthood directed its followers to Biden’s comment about the Florida bill, calling the measure “cruel.”
Florida's cruel abortion ban is receiving national attention. President Joe Biden says his administration “will not stand” for a 15-week abortion ban approved by the Florida Legislature.https://t.co/5f374aheT7 https://t.co/CJMQD3H8Gl
— Florida Planned Parenthood Action (@PPactionFL) March 4, 2022
During his State of the Union address Tuesday evening, Biden referred to ending the life of unborn children as “health care”:
Folks, advancing liberty and justice also requires protecting the rights of women. The constitutional right affirmed by Roe v. Wade, standing precedent for half a century, is under attack as never before.
If you want to go forward not backwards, we must protect access to healthcare; preserve a woman’s right to choose — and continue to advance maternal health care for all Americans.
The Florida Senate passed the Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality bill (CS/HB 5) by a vote of 23-15. The State House approved the bill on February 17 by a vote of 78-39.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has indicated his support for the measure, calling it “very reasonable.”
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Susan Berry, PhD is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Joe Biden” by The White House. Background Photo “Embryo Week 9-10” by lunar caustic. CC BY 2.0.
