The White House Tried President Joe Biden’s Seemingly Sleepy Response to the Reversal of Roe v Wade on Saturday, but instead sparked immediate backlash by labeling pro-choice activists as “out of touch.”
The apparent jab was made in a statement to: The Washington Post responding to criticism of what many Democrats see as a response that has been too little, too late. White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said: “The president has shown his deep outrage as an American and carried out his bold plan — which is the result of months of hard work — since this decision was made.”
She went on to say that “Joe Biden’s goal in responding to” dobbs is not to appease a few activists who have consistently been out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party,” but “to help women in danger and build a broad coalition to defend a woman’s right to live now.” choose to defend, just as he gathered such a coalition to win during the 2020 campaign.”
The statement, which many noted targeted those fighting to uphold abortion rights rather than those actively “endangering” women by depriving them of the right to physical autonomy, came as more than 1,000 protesters gathered at the Capitol. to urge Biden to declare a state of emergency to protect access to abortion.
As they arrived at the high gates surrounding the White House on Saturday, some activists danced for abortion rights while others expressed frustration at the Biden administration.
“Who is there?” shouted the organizers at one point. “Our house.”
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Women’s March director Rachel O’Leary Carmona told activists she hoped to “push” [Biden’s] authority to the extreme” regarding abortion rights.
Since the Supreme Court ruled on June 24 to effectively quash Roe to Wade, Abortion rights activists and advocates have wondered why the White House apparently had no contingency plan for such a landmark decision, given that a draft advisory leaked nearly two months in advance had given a fair warning that the ruling was imminent.
More frustration followed at what many saw as a lethargic response.
It took the Biden administration six days after the Supreme Court decision to announce its support for an exception to the filibuster to codify it into law. The executive order to protect access to abortions lasted a week longer.
The apparent resignation of some activists by the White House on Saturday appeared to be just the latest step to abandon activists.
“All this White House has for people who need abortions is empty promises and disrespect,” he said. tweeted activist Renee Bracey Sherman, founder of We Testify, an organization that aims to spread awareness about abortions.
Hayley McMahon, an abortion researcher and PhD student at Emory University, tweeted that “Biden and the Democrats have done absolutely everything to ‘provide aid to women in danger,’ no matter what that ultra-vague bulls-t means.”
“I can’t stress enough how bad it is to tell pro-choice people to fuck themselves right after Roe was destroyed,” she wrote.
“It is remarkably concerning that there are members of the Biden administration who seem more frustrated with pro-choice activists than with Republicans systematically dismantling abortion rights,” tweeted Matt McDermott, a Democratic pollster and strategist.
— Zachary Petrizzo
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