The White House on Tuesday expressed its deep dissatisfaction with the idea of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade on Tuesday, warning it would restrict abortion access for people of color.
“The majority of patients seeking abortions identify as Black, Hispanic, and AAPI,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said to reporters aboard Air Force One.
She also cited data showing 75 percent of women seeking abortions were living below the federal poverty level.
“Abortion bans and restrictions will also dramatically reduce access to reproductive care, particularly for women with low income, women of color, and women in rural communities,” she said.
Banning abortions in some states, Psaki said, would make it more difficult for people to travel to pro-abortion states, noting that many women had jobs and existing children.
“I would also note that 60 percent of people who seek an abortion are moms already,” she said.
Psaki also argued the issue of abortion was “not” a political issue and not a “wedge issue” because it was supported by the majority of the American public.
She again cited the importance of abortion to people of color, preparing the United States for a battle to preserve legal abortion.
“The people who would be impacted overwhelmingly are lower-income and are people of color,” she said. “And we need to be clear about that in how we communicate about it so everybody understands as this battle begins.”