Joe Biden has responded to the leaked draft opinion which suggests that the historic 1973 Roe v Wade ruling is set to be overturned by the Supreme Court. The President of the United States has argued in favour of upholding the case’s original decision, and warns that other rights will be at risk should the court decide otherwise.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Biden said that his administration agrees that Roe v Wade is based on “A long line of precedent recognizing ‘the Fourteenth Amendment’s concept of personal liberty’… against government interference with intensely personal decisions.”

He added, “I believe that a woman’s right to choose is fundamental, Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned.”

Biden also stated that his administration has been preparing a response to the “continued attack on abortion and reproductive rights” in the country and that they “will be ready when any ruling is issued”. 

My statement on the reported Supreme Court decision draft. pic.twitter.com/Kt3bP0kzqU

— President Biden (@POTUS) May 3, 2022

In a separate statement, he expanded on his views, saying that “If the rationale of the decision as released were to be sustained, a whole range of rights are in question”. Examples of these are “other basic rights: the right to marry,” he said.

“Does this mean that in Florida they can decide they’re going to pass a law saying that same-sex marriage is not permissible, that it is against the law in Floride?” the president questioned.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez echoed this sentiment, tweeting that “SCOTUS isn’t just coming for abortion – they’re coming for the right to privacy Roe rests on, which includes gay marriage + civil rights.”

There has been an outcry of protest from pro-choice advocates in response to the leaked document. Grammy-nominated singer and queer icon Phoebe Bridgers bravely shared her experience with abortion online to take a stance against the overruling of Roe v Wade. The 27 year-old took to social media to say “I had an abortion in October of last year while I was on tour. I went to planned parenthood where they gave me the abortion pill. It was easy. Everyone deserves that kind of access.”

https://twitter.com/phoebe_bridgers/status/1521582506801254400

There have also been demonstrations outside the Supreme Court in Washington, and country-wide as US citizens fear for the future of women’s rights in the county.

A couple hundred people or so have gathered tonight outside of the Supreme Court to protest the draft decision overturning Roe v Wade. They're chanting slogans like "abortion is healthcare" and "my body, my choice." pic.twitter.com/kIFwLjBDAP

— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) May 3, 2022

But it is not just America that will be affected by the overturning of Roe v Wade, and speaking to District Magazine, a representative from Derry Alliance for Choice stated: “Pro-life groups in the US have alarming ties to pro-life groups in Ireland, both North and South […] What we’re most concerned about is what if these groups are emboldened by what’s happened in the US.”

Ciara adds that it’s “really disheartening”, and that “It isn’t fully set in stone, but we need to fight back harder than ever.”