MIAMI.- President Joe Biden attributed responsibility for the imminent anti-abortion law in Florida and other similar restrictions in the country to Donald Trump, which, in his opinion, compromise access to female reproductive health.
This legislation coincides with a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to guarantee the right to abortion in Florida, an initiative that will be voted on by the state’s voters in the November elections.
The president expressed in Tampa that millions of women are being subjected to “pain and cruelty” that could be avoided. “It is not inevitable. We can stop it. Your vote can change this,” he stated.
Likewise, Biden seemed determined to use opposition to these restrictions as a boost for his re-election campaign in key states won in 2020 and as a tactic to confront Trump in traditionally Republican territories, such as Florida, where he lost by a margin of 3.3 percentage points.
“Abortion is a private medical issue”
According to Biden, the majority in Florida, as well as across the country, would consider that the decision about abortion should be a private medical matter, determined between doctor and patient. She indicated that this position is widely supported by Americans.
In this context, the Florida Supreme Court not only allowed the abortion measure to be put to a popular vote, but also upheld a state ban on abortion at 15 weeks. This legal action paved the way for the six-week implementation of the law.
However, Trump, in a recent interview, described the six-week restriction in the Florida state, where his residence is located, as a “terrible” measure.
Meanwhile, proponents of the constitutional amendment managed to gather nearly 1.5 million signatures, surpassing the necessary threshold of 891,500, with significant participation from Republicans and unaffiliated voters.
On the other hand, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the wording of the abortion amendment as misleading, although the state Supreme Court disagreed and approved the text for the vote.
DeSantis, in an event prior to Biden’s, challenged the presidential candidate’s prospects in the state, after declaring that Floridians will reject his proposals in November.
