Mr. Biden, a Democrat, has been under pressure from his own party to take action after last month’s landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade, which overturned nearly 50 years of protections for women’s reproductive rights. The president’s powers are limited because US states can enact laws restricting abortion and access to medicine, and the executive order is expected to have limited impact. “What we’re watching was not a constitutional crisis, it was an exercise of brute political power,” Mr. Biden told reporters at the White House, after citing many of the opposing views on the decision. “We cannot allow an out-of-control Supreme Court, working in concert with extremist elements of the Republican party, to take away our liberties and personal autonomy,” he said. The White House has not publicly entertained the idea of reforming the court itself or expanding the nine-member panel, an option being pushed by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Pramila Jayapal. In Friday’s speech, Mr. Biden instead laid out how voters could enshrine abortion rights if they elect more pro-choice senators and noted that the Supreme Court majority refers to the “political power” of women. “I don’t think the court, or for that matter Republicans … have any idea of the power of American women,” she said, adding that she believes women will turn out in record numbers to vote in November to restore women’s rights. of women. He also cited recent reports that a 10-year-old girl in Ohio was forced to travel to Indiana to have an abortion after she was raped. “Imagine you are a little girl. Imagine you are a little girl, 10 years old. Does anyone believe this?’ he said. In June, Biden condemned the court’s decision and suggested that US senators remove a legislative roadblock, temporarily lifting the Senate’s threshold for restoring abortion rights. The proposal was shot down by aides to key Democratic senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin. Earlier in June, sources told Reuters the White House was unlikely to take the bold steps toward abortion access that Democratic lawmakers have called for, such as judicial reform or offering reproductive services on federal lands. On Friday, Mr. Biden asked the Department of Health and Human Services to take action to protect and expand access to “medical abortion” approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the White House said. Experts said a pill used to end early pregnancy is unlikely to be available over the counter for years. States that already restrict the drug will not be affected by the executive order. Mr. Biden also directed the department to ensure women have access to emergency medical care, family planning services and contraception, including intrauterine devices (IUDs). In the executive order, Mr. Biden also directed his attorney general and White House counsel to convene pro bono lawyers and other organizations to provide legal counsel to patients seeking abortions as well as abortion providers. “Such representation could include protecting the right to travel out of state to seek medical care,” the White House said in a statement. The Supreme Court ruling restored the ability of states to ban abortions. As a result, women with unwanted pregnancies face the choice of traveling to another state where the procedure remains legal and available, buying abortion pills online, or having a potentially dangerous illegal abortion. The issue could help Democrats at the polls in November’s midterm elections, when Republicans have a chance to take control of Congress. Democrats hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives and control the evenly divided Senate through Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie. Mr. Biden’s executive order also aims to protect patient privacy and ensure security for mobile abortion clinics at state borders and directs the creation of a task force to coordinate the administration’s response on access to reproductive health , the White House said. The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to have a disproportionate impact on black and other women of color, who have traditionally faced enormous costs and logistical barriers to obtaining reproductive health care, experts said. This content appears as provided to The Globe by the original wire service. It has not been edited by Globe staff.
