COLUMBIA, S.C. — Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Saturday sought to reassure abortion-rights activists about his commitment to protecting access to the procedure, vowing that if elected president, he would reverse the Trump administration’s policies limiting abortion rights and would seek to codify Roe v. Wade in federal law. Making his first appearance before an abortion-rights group since rescinding his support for the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds for most abortions, the former vice president told members of Planned Parenthood that state-level efforts by Republicans to curb access to reproductive services had prompted him to change his mind. “It became really clear to me that although the Hyde Amendment was designed to try to split the difference here, to make sure women still had access, you can’t have access if, in fact, everyone is covered by a federal policy,” that restricts access to most abortion, he said at a presidential candidate forum that was expected to draw most of the Democratic field. But Mr. Biden also reversed himself on the issue in the space of a day after coming under immense pressure earlier this month from groups such as Planned Parenthood and a broader array of liberal activists who believe Democrats must not accept what they see as old compromises at a moment an emboldened right is seeking to outlaw abortion.

Source: New York Times June 22, 2019 22:14 UTC