Roe v Wade: Joe Biden looking for ‘solutions’ after Supreme Court’s abortion ruling as protests continue in Washington | US News

Joe Biden is continuing to search for a “solution” after the US Supreme Court overturned access to abortion in a historic decision that divided public opinion across the country.

The president said his administration will look at police how states enforce bans on the procedure.

Several White House officials have signaled plans to combat states that are trying to ban a drug used for medical abortion.

“The Supreme Court has made some terrible decisions,” Biden said on Saturday.

“Decisions are made by the states. My administration will focus on how they govern and whether they violate other laws.”

Court ruling on Friday overturning the constitutional right to abortion has existed for nearly 50 years after a legal case known as Roe v Wade.

Even though Mr Biden publicly disagreeing with the “radical” choice, his spokesman said he still “respects” the Supreme Court and sees no need to expand its membership.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Karine Jean-Pierre said: “When the president comments on the court ruling, it’s about the decision.”

“He sees the court as clearly legitimate and he respects the court … it’s a court that he respects very much.”

She added: “On expanding the court, that’s something the president disagrees with. It’s not something he wants to do.”

Protesters come down from both sides

With a conservative 6-3 majority, the decision was made by just nine Supreme Court justices and would now see nearly half of the 50 states potentially implement abortion bans.

As a result, clinics in at least eight states — Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and West Virginia — have stopped performing abortions.

Pro-choice campaigners opposed the decision, while pro-life activists celebrated it, with hundreds protesting from both sides down to the Supreme Court in Washington for a Monday to share their views.

Amid the crowds, anti-abortion protesters can be seen wearing T-shirts that read “I’m the pro-life generation” and abortion rights advocates can be heard chanting “body mine, my choice”.

In Mississippi, a state that ruled to enforce the ban in just nine days, anti-abortion activists bombarded the only women’s health clinic still in operation.

Read more:
Roe v Wade: How did we get here?
What happens now – and why the Supreme Court might not stop at abortion rights
Rape victim considered taking her own life after becoming pregnant

Hanging large posters that read “abortion is murder,” protesters urged women waiting for appointments at the Jackson Women’s Health Foundation, incorrectly saying they were breaking the law.

On Friday, some women have shared their views about the verdict to Sky News reporter Joe Pike, with some thanking God and others crying in tears of despair.

There is also concern that the decision could lead to the banning of other constitutional rights.

Conservative justice Clarence Thomas thinks the court’s reasoning could also lead to a review of past rulings
protected the right to contraception, legalized same-sex marriage nationally, and invalidated state laws banning gay sex.