President Biden is set to sign an executive order on Friday aimed at, in the words of the White House, “protecting access to reproductive health care services.” The move comes two weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, marking a direct attack on human rights.
Per a press release from the Biden administration, Friday’s executive order features multiple facets including taking measures to protect access to medication abortion and contraception, as well as the assembling of a group of private pro bono lawyers to “encourage robust legal representation of patients, providers, and third parties lawfully seeking or offering reproductive health care services throughout the country.”
Additionally, the order is said to make progress toward protecting patients’ privacy.
Biden has faced criticism and pressure in recent days in connection with the protection of abortion access, with many healthcare advocates arguing that more could be done, including taking more creative measures like placing abortion clinics on federal land.
In his initial statement in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Biden said the Supreme Court had taken away a “constitutional right” with its devastating decision.
“This decision is the culmination of a deliberate effort over decades to upset the balance of our law,” he said during comments delivered from the White House last month. “It’s a realization of an extreme ideology and a tragic error by the Supreme Court, in my view.”
As citizens continues to grapple with how best to help those most affected (i.e. those who live in conservative states), a number of fundraising efforts have received nationwide attention. Among them is the National Network of Abortion Funds, which—among other things—helps people with local abortion fund efforts.
