Roe v. Wade: Biden To Announce New Reproductive Rights Measures 100 Days After Supreme Court Overturned Landmark Ruling

Roe v. Wade: Biden To Announce New Reproductive Rights Measures 100 Days After Supreme Court Overturned Landmark Ruling
President Joe Biden will reveal the latest guidelines on protecting reproductive rights-- a crucial issue in the upcoming US midterm elections. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

United States President Joe Biden will disclose new regulations and funding to uphold reproductive rights on Tuesday, 100 days after the Supreme Court's momentous reversal of Roe v. Wade.

The gathering of the reproductive rights task group will also be attended by Vice President Kamala Harris. It will also highlight how abortion rights have been restricted since the high court struck down the right to discontinue pregnancies, according to a Reuters report.

Protection Against Discrimination For Students

A White House official and a letter released by the administration suggest that the discussion would center on the fact that millions of women lack access to abortion services and that medical professionals risk criminal prosecution if they perform abortions.

President Joe Biden will discuss the latest guidelines from the Department of Education for universities on protecting students from discrimination based on pregnancy. Moreover, there will be a total of $6 million in new grants to protect access to reproductive healthcare services from the Department of Health and Human Services.

According to Klein's letter, since the Supreme Court overruled the Roe v. Wade verdict in 1973 on June 24th, abortion prohibitions have taken effect in more than a dozen states.

It is estimated that almost 30 million women of childbearing age currently reside in a state with abortion ban and that roughly 22 million of them do not have access to abortion care services beyond the sixth-week mark. The letter also mentions Republican efforts to pass a nationwide abortion ban, led by Senator Lindsay Graham.

According to Klein, the Department of Education will be issuing new regulations for colleges and universities that reiterate the Title IX mandate that educational institutions shield students from discrimination based on pregnancy.

Additionally, over $6 million in Title X grants are being announced by the Department of Health and Human Services to "protect and expand access to reproductive health care" and enhance service delivery, encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors, and minimize current health inequities.

Anti-Abortion Measures Backlash

The administration's actions are the most recent response from President Biden to the court's decision. Biden issued an executive order in August to enable women to move out of state for abortions, guarantee health care providers comply with federal law, and boost studies and data collection, according to CNN.

He also issued another executive order in July, which he said would protect patients' privacy, provide access to contraceptive services, and create a task group on reproductive health care access with representatives from several government ministries.

Moreover, the White House continued its public pressure drive in response to state moves to limit access to abortion. State legislatures that have started implementing abortion bans have thus far been unable to pass regulations preferred by anti-abortion activists that do not include exceptions for rape and incest, and several Republican candidates who had previously been outspoken against abortion have openly retracted their arguments or downplayed the issue.

Forbes reported that the reversal of Roe v. Wade has also impacted healthcare outside of reproductive healthcare, preventing some Americans from getting treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and even cancer since the drugs can cause miscarriage.

Tags
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Abortion, Republican, Women's health, Women's rights
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