President Joe Biden has announced his intention to sign an executive order protecting access to abortions.Ā
The press releaseĀ of the presidential order outlined the administrationās attempt to protect access to Abortion and contraception as well as provide safety to patients and Abortion providers.
Bidenās move comes two weeks after the Supreme Court overturned the almost five-decade-old precedent of Roe V. Wade that offered federal protection for Abortion.
āPresident Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a womanās right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,ā the White Houseās announcement of the Executive Order stated.
The presidentās announcement went on to say, āUntil then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal Abortion.ā
Bidenās executive order instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take five steps within the next 30 days and report to the president.
Included in the steps outlined for HHS was the order to āprotect access to medication abortions,ā by ensuring that the medication was as āwidely accessible as possible.ā
The department of HHS also wants to ensure that āall patientsā have access to āthe full rights and protections,ā namely those relating to emergency medical treatment.
The Biden administration also plans to protect access to contraception, including ālong-acting reversible contraception.ā The order states that the Affordable Care Act āguaranteesā coverage of birth prevention services, including free birth control, in all 50 states.
āThe Secretary of HHS has already directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to take every legally available step to ensure patient access to family planning care and to protect family planning providers,ā the order fact sheet states.
Other issues mentioned in connection with the order were educational outreach programs and an initiative to organize pro bono attorneys and legal groups.
The administration hopes to āencourage robust legal representation of patients, providers, and third parties lawfully seeking or offering reproductive health care services throughout the country. ā
The White House also announced that they have already taken steps to support Abortion providers and clinics, as well as providing paid leave for federal workers who feel the need to travel for reproductive medical care.
Pro-life groups have already begun speaking out against the order, saying it not only promotes Abortion but false information about the current state of access to medical procedures necessary for womenās health.
āAbortion activists falsely claim Abortion bans prevent treating ectopic pregnancies,ā Life Site News said in its tweet about the order.
The group went on to say that āBidenās executive order today will make it easier to buy Abortion pills. Without an in-person consult with a doctor, the Abortion pills can kill women with an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy.ā
