United States President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday that will protect access to abortion, two weeks after the Supreme Court reversed a constitutional right to the procedure to terminate a pregnancy.
Biden outlined measures intended to alleviate some repercussions women seeking abortions may face after the ruling, but they are limited in their ability to protect access to abortion across the country as he came under increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to be more assertive on the issue.
The president also acknowledged the constraints on his authority, noting that in the more than a dozen states that have implemented severe restrictions or outright bans on abortion as a result of the Supreme Court's ruling, access to abortion would need to be restored by an act of Congress.
In the upcoming weeks and months, an additional dozen states are expected to enact new prohibitions, per a report from Stratnews.
Biden Challenges Supreme Court
In his message, Pres. Biden noted that his decision "affects everyone, unrelated to choice, beyond choice."
He said: "We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court, working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party, to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy."
Biden also urged women to vote in the November elections, claiming that the ballot box offers the "fastest way" to start the restoration of Roe, according to an ABC News report.
"We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice House to codify Roe as federal law," the president said. Your vote can make that a reality," the chief executive said.
According to the White House, the administration will also gather volunteer attorneys to offer free legal counsel to women and providers as they navigate new state regulations following the controversial Supreme Court decision.
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Here's What You Need To Know
The following are the measures stated in the executive order according to a CNN report:
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Xavier Becerra, has been summoned by the president to report to him the efforts of his department in addressing the matter within 30 days. Additionally, Biden is assembling an interagency task force on access to reproductive health care.
According to the White House, HHS will take steps to increase access to long-acting reversible contraception like intrauterine devices, or IUDs, and emergency contraception. The department must ensure that patients' access to "the full rights and protections for emergency medical care afforded under the law."
To ensure Americans have "access to reliable and accurate information about their rights and access to care," the government will step up outreach and public education campaigns on abortion.
The president urges the head of the Federal Trade Commission to consider taking action to safeguard consumer privacy when they inquire about reproductive health care services to protect patient privacy.
Biden has mandated HHS to take further safeguards for sensitive data connected to reproductive health care, including those allowed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,
The executive order also seeks to protect mobile clinics deployed to treat out-of-state patients to ensure the safety of people seeking and delivering abortion services.
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