President Joe Biden said that Democrats still lack the power to codify abortion rights into law despite his party’s strong performance in the midterm elections.
He admitted that he does not think there are enough votes at a press conference during the G20 summit in Indonesia. However, Democrats have been taking steps to protect abortion rights.
Roe v. Wade judgment
The benchmark case of Roe vs Wade in 1973 made the right to abortion a constitutional right, establishing a benchmark for abortion laws across the world. In this case, the US supreme court struck down laws that made abortion illegal in many states and ruled that abortion would be legal up to the point of foetal feasibility, that is, the time after which a foetus can survive outside the womb. At the time of the Roe judgment, foetal feasibility was around 28 weeks (7 months) but now because of the advances made in health care the time duration has been brought down to 23 weeks or 24 weeks which is around six months. Foetal viability implies the point at which the rights of the woman can be separated from the rights of the unborn foetus.
Overturn OF Roe v. Wade
The current case is concerned with the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade, the 1973 judgment. The ruling would lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states where republicans led government are in control. The overturning has led to some republican led states banning or severely limiting abortion, while other restrictions will be in effect eventually. Democrats have taken steps to protect abortion rights.