President Biden on Tuesday warned that he would veto any attempts to impose a national abortion ban, capitalizing on what is expected to be a key issue in the 2024 elections.
In his State of the Union remarks, Mr. Biden seized on Republican proposals to restrict abortion and pledged that he will do everything he can to “protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy.”
“Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman’s constitutional right to choose,” he said. “Make no mistake; if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it.”
Republicans in key swing states have struggled to articulate a message on the abortion issue since the Supreme Court last year overturned national abortion rights, sending the issue to each state to decide for itself.
The issue topped the economy in order of importance for voters in the 2022 midterm elections. Voters mostly recoil from bans, but they also oppose limitless abortion or abortion on demand at every stage of pregnancy.
An AP/NORC poll found in June that 61% of adults nationwide thought abortion should be legal during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
