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President Biden expressed strong disapproval of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to reinstate Idaho’s strict abortion restrictions.

In a statement, Biden highlighted the court’s order as a significant setback for women’s healthcare rights, especially in emergency situations. He said, “Today’s Supreme Court order allows Idaho’s extreme abortion ban to go back into effect and denies women critical emergency abortion care required by federal law. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has enabled Republican elected officials to pursue dangerous abortion bans like this one that continue to jeopardize women’s health, force them to travel out of state for care, and make it harder for doctors to provide care, including in an emergency.”

Biden’s remarks were in response to the high court’s unsigned order that reversed a previous injunction, effectively reinstating Idaho’s Defense of Life Act. This law, enacted following the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health decision, limits abortion access, with few exceptions. The president criticized this move as a dangerous precedent that endangers women’s health, restricts interstate medical travel, and complicates healthcare provision by doctors, particularly in emergencies. Biden also noted the adverse effect of such laws on medical professionals, driving them away from states with restrictive abortion laws.

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in April, with a decision expected in June, Biden vowed to “defend reproductive rights.” He added, “We will continue to defend a woman’s ability to access emergency care under federal law.”