Biden: “The voters have spoken loud and clear, and democracy has won”
MADRID, 9 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Voters in the US state of Ohio on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment proposed by the Republican Party that was intended to raise the threshold for amending the state Constitution before the referendum on whether to guarantee the right to abortion.
The measure — known as Issue 1 — would have changed Ohio’s referendum law, raising the threshold for amendments from a simple majority to 60 percent of the vote. This approval would have raised new obstacles to the decisions of the citizens, reports the television channel CNN.
This vote, led by Republicans, who are eyeing the upcoming November referendum on enshrining abortion rights, has been a victory for abortion rights advocates.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, has celebrated the vote, noting that the rejection of this amendment means that “democracy has spoken”, according to a statement from the White House.
“This measure has been a brazen attempt to weaken the voices of voters and further erode the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions. Ohioans have spoken loud and clear, and tonight has democracy won,” declared the president.
The state of Ohio denied abortion rights to a 10-year-old girl who was six weeks pregnant a year ago, after the statewide ban went into effect following the US Supreme Court’s decision to strike down abortion rights. The minor had to move to the state of Indiana, since state law prohibits abortions after the sixth week, when the fetus is expected to begin to have a heartbeat, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Currently, it is the subject of a legal battle.
