Washington D.C., May 22, 2019 / 13:00 pm
Joe Biden would support federal laws protecting abortion rights, "should it become necessary." The former vice president is the current frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination often references his Catholic faith in political speeches, publicly making the sign of the cross as a punch-line to jokes and displaying a rosary worn on his wrist.
Biden's position was announced by campaign staff on May 21 in response to questions from the Associated Press. His staff further clarified that he would support immediate efforts to enshrine the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade in Federal law.
The announcement marks the latest evolution in Biden's views on abortion policy over a 50-year career in politics. Earlier on Tuesday he released a video criticizing recent state-level pro-life laws as "pernicious" and "wrong."
Shortly after the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision found a legal right to an abortion throughout a pregnancy, Biden said in a profile interview with the magazine "Washingtonian" that he did not agree with the court's conclusion.