Three weeks before a difficult election, Joe Biden tried on Tuesday to mobilize Americans again around the right to abortion, promising to enshrine it in federal law in January in the event of a Democratic victory in Congress.
Although inflation and the risk of recession are undermining his party’s chances, the president is counting on the outrage sparked by the U.S. Supreme Court’s about-face on abortion to gain votes in left and center. On June 24, the highest court in the country reversed its judgment Roe v. wadewhich for half a century had guaranteed the right of American women to terminate their pregnancies.
“Remember how you felt that day […] : anger, concern, disbelief”, launched Joe Biden during a speech before the Democratic Party in Washington, denouncing “the chaos” having followed this decision.
“In four months, laws prohibiting abortion have come into force in 16 states”, he continued, and “the elected Republicans in Congress have gone further” by promising to adopt such a ban at the federal level. they regained control of the legislative power. “But let’s be clear: if such a law were to be adopted in the years to come, I would veto it,” thundered the tenant of the White House.
Conversely, if the voters strengthen the Democratic majority, “the first law that I will send to Congress will aim to codify Roe “, he promised. “And as soon as Congress passes it, I will sign it, in January, for the 50th anniversary [de cet arrêt]. »
Asked shortly after, the White House refused to give details of the proposed text. Interrupting a pregnancy “should be a decision made between a woman, her doctors and her family, not politicians”, simply commented on her spokesperson, Karine Jean-Pierre.
A bill protecting the right to abortion has already been passed by the House of Representatives. The text skates in the Senate, where it would take a qualified majority of 60% to protect it from any parliamentary obstruction.
Joe Biden has long been loath to change this rule meant to encourage compromise between the two major parties. At the end of June, however, he said he was ready to make an “exception” and lift it to guarantee the right of American women to have an abortion. But two of the 50 Democratic senators do not want to touch the filibuster : the party would therefore have to win two new seats to change the situation, while maintaining its majority in the lower house.
Still a priority?
The goal seems very ambitious, especially since midterm elections are usually an opportunity to punish the president’s party. The Democrats, on the other hand, were galvanized by a referendum organized at the beginning of August in the very conservative State of Kansas, where voters mobilized massively to reject a constitutional amendment hostile to abortion.
Polls show, however, that the issue is no longer the top priority of Americans. About 26% cite the economy as their main concern and 18% inflation, far ahead of abortion at 5%, according to a survey published this week by the Siena Institute with the New York Times.
Even more worrisome for Democrats, independent female voters also appear to have revised their preferences. In September, Democrats were 14 points ahead of Republicans in this segment of the electorate, they are now 18 points behind.