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June 24 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Friday lashed out at the Supreme Court's decision to reverse the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision that guaranteed a right to an abortion, saying it has taken away basic freedom for millions around the country. The Supreme Court on Friday morning, in a 6-3 decision split along ideological lines, said abortions are not guaranteed by the Constitution and individual states have the right to set their own policies regarding the procedure.
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Biden said Roe vs. Wade was supported by the majority of U.S. residents as well past courts.
"It's a sad day for the country in my view," Biden said in brief remarks from the White House. "It doesn't mean the fight is over. Let me be clear and unambiguous. The only way we can secure a woman's right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe vs. Wade as federal law."
Biden blamed the decision on former President Donald Trump's appointment of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to the court. The conservative justices were all part of the 6-3 decision overturning Roe.
"Make no mistake, this decision is a combination of a deliberate effort over decades," Biden said. "It's a realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court in my view. The court has done what it has never done before -- expressly take away a constitutional right that is so fundamental to so many Americans."
Biden said because of trigger laws in numerous states led by conservative governors and legislatures, the Supreme Court decision allowed them to ban abortions immediately with the decision.
Biden said he was stunned that some doctors will now be criminalized if they perform an abortion in some states where it is legal in others.
The president said that, while his hands are tied from the executive branch, voters can have a say in the upcoming midterm elections by supporting Democrats who favor abortion rights.
"This fall, Roe is on the ballot," Biden said. "Personal freedoms are on the ballot. The right to privacy, liberty, and equality are all on the ballot."
Biden said the ruling does not prevent a woman from traveling to another state to get an abortion.
"My administration will defend that bedrock right," Biden said. "Any state ... that tries to interfere with a woman's right to travel, I will do everything in my power to fight that deeply un-American attack."
Biden said the administration will fight for a women's right to contraception and abortion pills that have been approved federally.
"Politicians cannot interfere with decisions that should be made between a woman and her doctor," Biden said. "My administration will remain vigilant as the implications of this decision play out."
The Supreme Court decision came on the same day the White House released a plan to address maternal health to improve outcomes related to pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.
"The Biden-Harris administration is committed to cutting the rates of maternal mortality and morbidity, reducing the disparities in maternal health outcomes, and improving the overall experience during and after pregnancy for people across the country," the White House said in a statement.
"This commitment will require bold, unprecedented action through a whole-of-government strategy."
The White House said its plan would increase access to and coverage of comprehensive high-quality maternal health services, ensure women giving birth are heard, advance data collection, standardization, harmonization, transparency, and research, and expand and diversify the perinatal workforce.
