White House press secretaryJen Psaki brushed off a male reporter's question aboutabortion .- Biden "believes it's a woman's right, a woman's body, and it's her choice," Psaki said.
- "I know you've never faced those choices, nor have you ever been pregnant," she told the reporter.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki dismissed a question on abortion from a male reporter during a press briefing on Thursday.
Owen Jensen, a reporter at Eternal Word Television Network, a Catholic-focused media company, questioned President Joe Biden's devotion to the Catholic faith, given his support of abortion rights.
Biden believes that abortion is "a woman's right, a woman's body, and it's her choice," Psaki responded.
The press secretary grew visibly frustrated as Jensen continued to press her on the topic. She reiterated that Biden "believes it's up to a woman to make those decisions, and up to a woman to make those decisions with her doctor" regarding abortion.
"I know you've never faced those choices, nor have you ever been pregnant, but for women out there who have faced those choices, this is an incredibly difficult thing," Psaki told Jensen. "The president believes their right should be respected."
Jensen tried to fit in another question, but Psaki interjected: "I think we have to move on, you've had plenty of time today," she said, calling on the next reporter in the briefing room.
-CSPAN (@cspan) September 2, 2021
The tense exchange came after the Supreme Court ruled at midnight Thursday that a
The White House this week heavily criticized the Texas law and the
Psaki has previously tussled with reporters, including Jensen, about abortion rights.
In an August 11 briefing, Jensen asked Psaki about Biden's position on the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funding to pay for an abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is at risk.
Biden had supported the Hyde Amendment but in June 2019, the presidential candidate reversed his stance. "I can't justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to exercise their constitutionally protected right," Biden said at the time.
Psaki told Jensen that "the president's position on Hyde is well known, and we've stated many times publicly."
Biden is only the second Catholic to serve as US president. He is known to keep a rosary in his pocket and regularly touts his faith. Psaki has come to the president's defense over questions about his faith, saying in a January briefing: "I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic and somebody who attends church regularly."