President Biden on Thursday said that he thinks that people who support denying access to abortions now know the power of women in America following the midterm elections this week.
“You all showed up and beat the hell out of them,” Biden said in remarks to the Democratic National Committee at Washington, D.C.’s Howard Theatre. “Those who support ripping away the rights to choose don’t have a clue about the power of women in America but now I think they do.”
The president said that “one of the most extraordinary things” about the Supreme Court’s summer decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision was that it mobilized women to vote.
“As I’ve said, women in America made their voices heard, man,” he said.
He thanked the hundreds of Democrats packed into the Howard Theatre.
Vice President Harris, first lady Jill Biden, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff joined the president on stage, along with dozens of people wearing shirts and holding signs with “Let’s Go, Joe,” “Fetterman,” and “End Citizens United.”
Democrat John Fetterman scored one of the biggest victories for Democrats on Tuesday with a win in the Pennsylvania Senate race.
“This is not a political piece, this is to say thank you, thank you, thank you,” Biden said. “Tuesday was a good day for America, a good day for democracy, and a strong night for Democrats.”
Biden thanked Harris for her work traveling across the country to meet with reproductive rights leaders in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. And he vowed to work to codify Roe and veto a potential national abortion ban from Republicans.
While control of the House and the Senate has not yet been decided, a potential Republican majority in the House appears likely to be much narrower than expected. Meanwhile, Democrats have a fighting shot of retaining the Senate majority as they await the results of three Senate races in Nevada, Arizona and Georgia.
The Georgia Senate race, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock faces Republican challenger Herschel Walker, is headed to a runoff election slated for December. The White House has not said if Biden will go to Georgia to campaign for Warnock, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday that “the president will do whatever Sen. Warnock needs him to do to help him win.”
Biden leaves later on Thursday for a series of international meetings, with his first stop in Egypt for a United Nations climate summit. He then heads to Asia for the Group of 20 summit in Indonesia.