President Biden has a message. Today's Supreme Court ruling "doesn't mean the fight's over."
And then Biden declared specifics about how we'll overturn this decision.
"The only way we can secure a woman's right to choose... is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade as federal law. No executive action from the President can do that. And if Congress, as it appears, lacks the votes to do that now, voters need to make their voices heard.
"This fall, we must elect more Senators and Representatives who will codify a woman's right to choose into federal law once again. Elect more state leaders to protect this right at the local level. We need to restore the protections of Roe as law of the land...
"This fall, Roe is on the ballot. Personal freedoms are on the ballot. The right to privacy, liberty, equality -- they're all on the ballot."
It’s a politically smart speech — you can watch the video here. But Biden also swore to "do all in my power to protect a woman's right in states where they will face the consequences of today's decision" -- starting now.
"While the court's decision casts a dark shadow over a large swath of the land, many states in this country still recognize a woman's right to choose. So if a woman lives in a state that restricts abortion, the Supreme Court's decision does not prevent her from travelling from her home state to the state that allows it.
"It does not prevent a doctor in that state from treating her.... If any state official, high or low, tries to interfere with a woman exercising her basic right to travel, I will do everything in my power to fight that deeply un-American act.
"I know so many women are now going to face incredibly difficult situations. I hear you. I support you. I stand with you.
"The consequences and the consensus of the American people -- the core principles of equality, liberty, dignity, and the stability of the rule of law -- demand that Roe should not have been overturned. With this decision, the conservative majority of the Supreme Court shows how extreme it is. How far removed they are from the majority of this country. It made the United States an outlier among developed nations in the world.
"But this decision must not be the final word.
"My administration will use all of its appropriate lawful powers. But Congress must act. And with your vote, you can act. You can have the final word.
"This is not over."
You can donate to Act Blue's Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at this link, and to Act Blue's Democratic Senate Campaign Committee at this link.
Because Joe Biden's right. We get the final word. And this isn't over...