The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness
Hundreds gathered outside the Supreme Court Friday as the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v Wade was announced. (Video: Jorge Ribas, Hadley Green, Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post, Photo: Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

Biden says restoring abortion rights is up to voters

President Biden on Friday called the Supreme Court decision that overturns of Roe v. Wade a “tragic error” and implored voters to turn out in November to elect members of Congress willing to write abortion protections into law. Speaking from the White House, Biden said, “This is a sad day for the country in my view, but it doesn’t mean the fight is over.”  
Key updates
Skip to end of carousel
The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health was the most anticipated of the court’s term, with political tension surrounding the fight over abortion rights erupting in May with the leak of a draft opinion indicating a majority of justices intended to end the long-standing precedent.
The justices were considering a Mississippi law that would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The law had not taken effect because lower courts said it was at odds with the national right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade in 1973 and affirmed by subsequent Supreme Court rulings.
In their joint dissent, the court’s three liberal justices took note of the states that will move quickly to restrict abortion access and emphasized the sweeping impact of the court’s decision on the rights of women to terminate their pregnancies.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who helped shepherd several conservative justices onto the court, celebrated the Supreme Court ruing as “courageous and correct” and said the American people have gotten “their voice back” on the issue.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned that her Republican colleagues in Congress are now “plotting a nationwide abortion ban” and that more extreme measures could be enacted in the states.
End of carousel
Skip to end of carousel
The decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health was the most anticipated of the court’s term, with political tension surrounding the fight over abortion rights erupting in May with the leak of a draft opinion indicating a majority of justices intended to end the long-standing precedent.
The justices were considering a Mississippi law that would ban almost all abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The law had not taken effect because lower courts said it was at odds with the national right to abortion established in Roe v. Wade in 1973 and affirmed by subsequent Supreme Court rulings.
In their joint dissent, the court’s three liberal justices took note of the states that will move quickly to restrict abortion access and emphasized the sweeping impact of the court’s decision on the rights of women to terminate their pregnancies.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who helped shepherd several conservative justices onto the court, celebrated the Supreme Court ruing as “courageous and correct” and said the American people have gotten “their voice back” on the issue.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) warned that her Republican colleagues in Congress are now “plotting a nationwide abortion ban” and that more extreme measures could be enacted in the states.
End of carousel

Live coverage contributors 57

Live updates continue below

U.S. abortion access, reproductive rights

Tracking abortion access in the United States: Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the legality of abortion has been left to individual states. The Washington Post is tracking states where abortion is legal, banned or under threat.

Abortion and the election: Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year. Biden supports legal access to abortion, and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states. Here’s how Trump’s abortion stance has shifted over the years.

New study: The number of women using abortion pills to end their pregnancies on their own without the direct involvement of a U.S.-based medical provider rose sharply in the months after the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right to abortion, according to new research.

Abortion pills: The Supreme Court seemed unlikely to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Here’s what’s at stake in the case and some key moments from oral arguments. For now, full access to mifepristone will remain in place. Here’s how mifepristone is used and where you can legally access the abortion pill.