White House calls leftists ‘out of step’ with Democrats after Roe v. Wade repeal

A spokesperson for President Joe Biden slammed liberal activists in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, calling them “consistently out of step” with the Democratic Party mainstream.

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield’s remarks come as Biden takes heat from some in his party for what they felt was a slow or inadequate response to the Supreme Court decision.

“The president has been showing his deep outrage as an American and executing his bold plan — which is the product of months of hard work — ever since this decision was handed down,” Bedingfield told the Washington Post in a statement Saturday.

“Joe Biden’s goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party. It’s to deliver help to women who are in danger and assemble a broad-based coalition to defend a woman’s right to choose now, just as he assembled such a coalition to win during the 2020 campaign,” she said.

On Friday, a full two weeks since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Biden made forceful remarks toward the court, calling its decision a “giant step backwards.” He signed an executive order intended to help women seeking the procedure, although it will likely have little practical effect.

Many leftists lambasted the president for his slow response to the decision, which has already led to 10 states banning abortions. Party leaders mocked Biden’s initial low-key statement in response to the ruling, in which he called on voting for more candidates that would vote to codify a right to an abortion.

Although Biden had a full two months to draw up a strong response to the decision he knew was coming after the decision leaked, his response had been largely lukewarm until Friday, the Washington Post noted.

Biden slammed the court’s decision in his remarks Friday as “an exercise of raw power.”

“This was not a decision driven by the Constitution,” Biden said of the June 24 ruling. “Let me say it again. This was not a decision driven by the Constitution. Despite what those justices in the majority said, this was not a decision driven by history.”

He again called for voters to elect “two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice House” to codify abortion rights as federal law.

“The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,” Biden said. “The challenge is go out and vote. For God’s sake, there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!”

The executive requests the Department of Health and Human Services to protect access to medical abortions, emergency medical care and contraception in all 50 states. It also launches outreach and public education efforts.

Biden asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to organize a group of pro bono lawyers and legal organizations to offer their services “to encourage robust legal representation of patients, providers, and third parties lawfully seeking or offering reproductive health care services throughout the country.”

The executive order directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect the identities of women who are seeking or using abortion services.