Breaking Down President Biden’s New Executive Order on Abortion Rights
designed to protect access to medication abortion and contraception. The president has been under pressure from reproductive justice advocates and other Democrats who have criticized him for not taking more action after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24. that the Biden administration has had dozens of meetings with multiple stakeholders to talk about reproductive rights in the last few weeks.
The president also called for an interagency Task Force on Reproductive Health Care Access. Biden’s order asks the chair of the Federal Trade Commission to consider how to protect consumers’ privacy when seeking reproductive health care services. Klein continues, however, that the administration is looking at how to address cases of people like incarcerated individuals who won’t be able to travel even if they secure funding. As for undocumented immigrants who may be prevented from access due to the risk of border check points, Klein says the White House will remain “vigilant” about how people are being restricted from travel. “I would say that really no, no, no option and no action is off the table.
She points to Attorney General Merrick Garland’s recent comments about medication abortion: “The FDA has approved the use of the medication Mifepristone. States may not ban Mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy.”