Biden scolds the Supreme Court to its face for overturning Roe v. Wade: President, 81, tells justices ‘with all due respect, women are not powerless’ in direct message in his State of the Union

President Joe Biden took on the powerful Supreme Court during his State of the Union address and called for its repeal. Roe v. Wade in an election year in which court decisions are already playing an enormous role.

It was one of many political critiques during the speech, this time directed at the handful of justices gathered inside the House chamber for the speech.

“With all due respect, justices, women are not without electoral or political power,” Biden said after criticizing the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization for a 6-3 conservative majority in 2022.

“Many of you in this chamber and my predecessor are promising to pass a national ban on reproductive freedom,” Biden said in remarks directed at House and Senate Republicans.

‘My God! What more freedom would you take away from yourself?

He then dealt a blow to the court, after its ruling struck down abortion rights protections across the country, freeing states to pass a host of new restrictions.

“And with all due respect, justices, women do not lack electoral power, electoral or political power.”

Biden relied on the language of the Dobbs decision itself. The majority wrote: ‘Our decision returns the issue of abortion to those legislative bodies and allows women on both sides of the abortion issue to try to affect the legislative process by influencing public opinion, lobbying legislators, voting and running for office. public. Women are not without electoral or political power.’

Then he chased the people who were ‘bragging about overturning Roe v Wade” and said they had “no idea about the power of women.” But they found out when reproductive freedom was on the ballot in 2020 and 2020 and they will win again in 2024.

Biden’s 2024 rival, Donald Trump, regularly takes credit for appointing three conservative justices who voted to overturn Roe.

Three justices who joined the 6-3 opinion that defeated Roe were in the chamber

Biden greeted Chief Justice John Roberts on his way to the chamber.

Democrats believe they can make continued progress on abortion

The judges were at a disadvantage. By tradition they cannot applaud or respond to political rhetoric in the room.

The attack on the court came in a speech in which Biden attacked his predecessor and criticized House Republicans over tax cuts and the border.

The judges were not in a good position to respond. By tradition, those who attend do not applaud or participate in activities that may appear partisan.

Chief Justice John Roberts, whom Biden greeted on his way to the chamber, was present, as were a handful of justices.

The author of the opinion, Justice Samuel Alito, was not present.

Biden didn’t mention it, but the high court has been making critical decisions in recent weeks that are shaping the political terrain of 2024. One of them overturned a Colorado ruling that excluded Donald Trump from the ballot. Another presented oral arguments on Trump’s claim of absolute immunity for actions as president. But the schedule could end up delaying Trump’s Jan. 6 trial in Washington, D.C. until after the election, when he could try to overturn the prosecution of him if he is elected.