Abortion adds to Biden's all-but-impossible to-do list

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s list of impossible tasks keeps getting longer.

Despite lofty promises he's made, from the campaign trail through his first year in office, he has limited power to safeguard voting rights or expand the fight against climate change on his own.

And now it’s become clear that Biden has no good options for preserving abortion access as the Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

It's a disorienting and discouraging state of affairs for Democrats, who control both Congress and the White House for the first time in more than a decade.

But the reality is the party holds only the narrowest of majorities in the Senate, and there simply aren’t enough votes to guarantee abortion rights, especially with the filibuster in place.

Biden's pledge to codify Roe v. Wade into law seems destined for the same rocky shoals where other parts of his agenda, like tax credits for clean energy or legislation that would preempt state voting restrictions, have already run aground.

Perhaps the most succinct explanation came from Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., earlier this week.

“We’re stuck,” she said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has scheduled a vote on abortion for next Wednesday, but it's almost certain to fail. Republicans are united in opposition, and a handful of Democrats may not support it either.

The impasse is forcing the White House to reopen its backup playbook — scrounging for ways to make a difference through executive action or regulatory steps while criticizing Republicans for the lack of broader action.

“The White House is under enormous pressure to be more forceful and vocal," said Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law.

But Gostin, who is advising...