but senior republicans, including former vice president mike pence and mitch mcconnell welcome the ruling. millions of women across the united states have lost their constitutional right to abortion, after a ruling of historic significance by the country s supreme court. it has overturned a 50 year law that legalised abortion nationwide and it now means that individual us states are legally able to ban it. up to half of america s 50 states are expected to do so and 13 have already passed so called trigger laws which automatically outlaw abortion with the court s ruling. president biden has said it was a sad day for the court and for the country. 0ur north america editor sarah smith reports now on an issue and a decision which has polarised the united states. this is a huge, historic moment for america. as they hear the news from the court, there isjubilation from anti abortionists. life won today! life won today, they chant, celebrating a victory after almost 50 y
because that is the same treatment as a foreign abortion, and they are coming under investigation or prosecution. i think what the president understands is that it is impossible to police a uterus, without the surveillance of pregnancy outcomes, the surveillance of individuals who are pregnant, who stopped being pregnant, whether through abortion, miscarriage, there is a real possibility that red states will set up a kind of dragnet, investigating individuals who are suspected of terminating a pregnancy, suspected of purchasing medication abortion illegally on the internet. it is to the effect of travelling to another state to receive an abortion. there is many legal scrutiny that many women will come under in a red states. i think it is unwise to you it solely as a matter of individual liberty for women who seek to terminate a pregnancy. this will affect so many more people and really put the spotlight on those who are carrying a pregnancy is because the states that ban abor