Biden Signs Executive Order To Address Access To Abortion

President Joe Biden signed a new executive order addressing Americans’ access to abortion on Friday, two weeks after the Supreme Court’s conservative bloc voted to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.

The White House said Biden will use his executive authority to defend reproductive rights within various federal agencies, but stressed Congress had the ultimate power to codify abortion access as federal law.

The order will build on steps the Biden administration has already taken.

Biden plans to direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take additional action to protect and expand access to medication abortion, protect access to contraception and ensure patients are able to obtain emergency medical care.

The White House will formalize efforts by the Department of Justice to push back against any state efforts to limit the ability to travel out of state to get an abortion or access abortion medication.