Joe Biden blasts Florida's 15-week abortion ban legislation

Aside from the issue of voting rights, US President Joe Biden also faces the issue of Republican-led legislatures introducing bills that would deny a woman to have an abortion. Biden recently ripped into such a bill that was passed by the Florida legislature.

Biden took to social media, blasting the legislation that the state’s lawmakers passed. The new legislation was passed by Florida’s state legislature Thursday last week. The new bill would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks without any exceptions for rape and incest.

“Last night, the Republican-controlled Florida legislature passed a dangerous bill that will severely restrict women’s access to reproductive health care,” said Biden in a tweet. “My administration will not stand for the continued erosion of women’s rights.”

Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis said during a press conference in Jacksonville Friday that he would sign the bill. DeSantis also said he also considers abortions that have passed 15 weeks to be “late-term.” Abortion in Florida is currently legal up to the 24th week of pregnancy.

The new legislation, which would take effect on July 1, will only allow an abortion to be performed after 15 weeks if two doctors certify a “fatal fetal abnormality” that would lead to “death upon birth or imminently thereafter.” An exception to the ban will be if the pregnancy may cause “serious bodily injury” or if it would save the mother’s life.

Biden has often clashed with Republican policies in Florida, including the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was introduced in the state’s legislature. Biden and his administration also supported schools in Florida implementing mask mandates, which DeSantis has opposed.

The US leader is also tackling the current crisis in Ukraine, as Russian troops continue to go on the offensive even with ceasefires. During his State of the Union address last week, Biden announced that he is ordering the US airspace to be closed from Russian flights in the effort to punish Russia for invading Ukraine.

“Tonight, I’m announcing that we join our allies in closing off American airspace to all Russian flights, further isolating Russia and adding an additional squeeze on their economy,” said Biden in his speech. “He has no idea what’s coming,” added the US leader, referring to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.