WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Joe Biden said Friday that 鈥渋t鈥檚 a sad day for the court and the country鈥� after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide.
鈥淣ow with Roe gone, let鈥檚 be very clear, the health and life of women across this nation are now at risk,鈥� he said from the White House.
He added that "the court has done what it鈥檚 never done before 鈥� expressly taking away a constitution right that is so fundamental to so many Americans,鈥� he said.
The White House has been preparing for this moment since a draft of the decision leaked in May. Officials have been huddling with state leaders, advocates, health care professionals and others to prepare for a future without Roe v. Wade.
Now Biden鈥檚 plans will be tested in terms of politics and policy. Biden said his administration would defend a woman's right to cross state lines to seek an abortion.
Outside , a crowd of abortion supporters swelled to the hundreds after was issued. One chanted into a bullhorn, 鈥渓egal abortion on demand鈥� and 鈥渢his decision must not stand.鈥� Some shouted 鈥渢he Supreme Court is illegitimate."
鈥淚t鈥檚 a painful day for those of us who support women鈥檚 rights,鈥� said Laura Free, an Ithaca resident and women鈥檚 rights historian who came to Washington to do research. When she learned of the decision, she said, 鈥淚 had to come here.鈥�
A competing faction demonstrated in favor of the ruling, holding signs saying "the future is anti-abortion鈥� and 鈥渄ismember Roe.鈥�
Garrett Bess, with Heritage Action for America, a lobbying arm of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said his organization would be working in states to continue efforts to limit abortion.
鈥淭his has been a long time coming and it鈥檚 a welcome decision,鈥� he said.
Biden and other Democrats hope to use outrage over the court decision to rally voters in . Although nationwide legislation ensuring access to abortion appears out of reach, more Democratic victories at the state level could limit Republican efforts to ban the practice.
In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Justice Department 鈥渨ill work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom.鈥� He said that in addition to protecting providers and those seeking abortions in states where it remains legal, 鈥渨e stand ready to work with other arms of the federal government that seek to use their lawful authorities to protect and preserve access to reproductive care.鈥�
He also noted that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of mifepristone, a drug used to end pregnancies.
鈥淪tates may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA鈥檚 expert judgment about its safety and efficacy,鈥� Garland said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the court's ruling 鈥渋s outrageous and heart-wrenching鈥� and fulfills the Republican Party's "dark and extreme goal of ripping away women鈥檚 right to make their own reproductive health decisions.鈥�
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., applauded the decision.
鈥淎 lot of lives are going to be saved,鈥� McCarthy told reporters. 鈥淏ut it also goes back to people in the states to have a say in the process.鈥�
Many Republican-controlled states are poised to severely restrict abortion, or even ban it outright.
The White House has been exploring options for Biden to take executive action to safeguard abortion rights, but his options are limited.
Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O鈥橬eill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, said before Friday's ruling that he expected the Biden administration to be 鈥渢o be nibbling around the edges, and is not going to do anything really profound.鈥�
Gostin said he鈥檚 discussed a variety of options with administration officials but believes they are 鈥済un shy鈥� given the potential for legal challenges that could lead to more roadblocks from a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives.
Some of Gostin鈥檚 suggestions included having Medicaid cover the cost of traveling across state lines to end pregnancies, as well as expanding access to abortion medication that can be delivered by mail.
鈥淪tates couldn鈥檛 pick and choose what cancer drug they would allow, and they shouldn鈥檛 be permitted to choose what options women have for medication abortions that are fully approved as safe and effective,鈥� he said.
During their preparations, White House officials have held a series of meetings with advocates, medical groups and faith leaders who are supportive of abortion access.
The Rev. John Dorhauer, the general minister and president of the United Church of Christ, drove from Cleveland to Washington to attend one meeting earlier this month. Another virtual meeting was held this week, featuring Vice President Kamala Harris.
鈥淚t was rather impressive to see the commitment the White House and the vice president鈥檚 office has had to gather advocates from around the country,鈥� Dorhauer said.
However, there are also concerns that the administration is not ready.
Dr. Colleen McNicholas, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri, attended a recent virtual meeting with abortion providers and said she expects 鈥渁 true health crisis.鈥�
鈥淚 think that we should have been preparing for far longer than we have been,鈥� McNicholas said. 鈥淒o I think that they recognize that this a problem? Yes. Do I think that they鈥檙e prepared in this moment? No.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein, Will Weissert, Matthew Daly, Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.
Chris Megerian And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
