MADRID — President Biden condemned what he called the “outrageous behavior” of the Supreme Court in deciding to overturn Roe v. Wade on Thursday and said for the first time that he supported ending the filibuster to codify a woman’s right to abortion.
“We have to codify Roe v. Wade in the law, and the way to do that is to make sure the Congress votes to do that,” Mr. Biden said. “And if the filibuster gets in the way, it’s like voting rights, we provide an exception for this, or an exception to the filibuster for this action.”
Mr. Biden called the ruling “destabilizing’’ and said he could understand why Americans are frustrated with the direction taken by the conservative majority of the court.
“It is a mistake, in my view for the Supreme Court to do what it did,” Mr. Biden said during a news conference in Madrid at the end of a weeklong series of meetings with allies in Europe.
The country has been roiled by the court’s ruling, which ended a half-century of legal protections for women seeking an abortion. The court turned the issue over to politicians, including state legislatures, many of which have already passed abortion bans triggered by the court’s decision.
The decision by the majority of the justices has prompted intense anger among Democrats and other abortion rights supporters, while gratifying the Christian right and conservatives who oppose abortion. The ruling is poised to reshape American politics just months before voters go to the polls for elections that will determine which party controls Congress.
Mr. Biden has previously denounced the decision, calling it “the realization of extreme ideology and a tragic error.” He has pledged to do what he can through the power of his office to help women who live in Republican-controlled states access abortion where it remains legal.
But the president remains under pressure from members of his party to do more.
