White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Saturday that President Biden “does not agree with” expanding the Supreme Court after it ruled a day before to eliminate the constitutional right to abortion.
“So, I know I’ve … I was asked this question yesterday, and I’ve been asked it before — and I think the President himself … about expanding the Court. That is something that the President does not agree with. That is not something that he wants to do,” Jean-Pierre said on Air Force One while en route to Munich, Germany.
She argued that the Supreme Court’s “extreme ruling” to overturn Roe v. Wade was “so out of step” given the popularity among Americans on upholding the 50-year precedent.
“It’s so out of step not only with this decision, but it’s also so out of step with the Constitution,” she added.
In the wake of a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion last month that signaled that the high court would eliminate federal-level abortion protections, some Democrats called for additional seats to be added to the court, which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority.
Some Democrats have urged filibuster reform, too, though those efforts are likely doomed given Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) have both repeatedly said they are against changing the rule that requires most legislation to secure 60 votes to pass in the Senate.
Biden has previously said he was mulling the idea of using executive action to protect abortion rights, though it is unclear what actions he would take.