President Joe Biden has reversed course on his midterm promise to codify Roe V. Wade on the Monday following the midterms. He said he doesn’t “think there’s enough votes” with the possibility of a Republican House looming.
“Mr. President what should Americans expect from Congress as it relates to abortion rights after the midterms?” NBC’s Peter Alexander yelled at Biden during a question and answer period after his remarks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Indonesia. Biden said he was told to call on four reporters, and this question appeared to be an unplanned fifth, yelled from the sidelines.
“I don’t think they can expect much of anything other than we’re going to maintain our positions. I’m not going to get into more questions. I shouldn’t even have answered your question,” Biden said.
“I don’t think there’s enough votes to codify, unless something happens unusual in the House. I think we’re going to get very close in the House. I think we’re going to be very close, but I don’t think we’re going to make it,” he added.
Shortly after this press conference NBC News announced Republicans will have the majority of the House and that the GOP will have 219 seats, with Democrats at 216.
“The first bill I will send to the Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade. And when Congress passes it, I’ll sign it in January, 50 years after Roe was first decided the law of the land,” Biden said back in October.
