Former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden reversed his support for the Hyde Amendment on Thursday at a gala hosted by the Democratic National Committee in Atlanta.
Biden said that recent extreme abortion restrictions in various states prompted him to change his stance.
“I can’t justify leaving millions of women without the health care they need… If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support [the amendment],” he said.
The Hyde Amendment, which Biden voted in support of as a senator in 1976, bars federal funds from going toward abortion procedures. Since launching his campaign, Biden had drawn criticism for his continued support of the measure.
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Until Thursday night, Biden was alone among his fellow 2020 front-runners, all of whom have spoken in favor of repealing Hyde.
“We’re glad that Joe Biden listened to the voices of millions of women and further clarified his position on the Hyde Amendment,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro Choice America, said Thursday in an emailed statement.
“Let’s be clear, the Hyde Amendment discriminates against all women but particularly poor women and women of color,” Hogue said. “At a time where the fundamental freedoms enshrined in Roe are under attack, we need full throated allies in our leaders.”