President Joe Biden will sign executive orders protecting access to abortion on Friday, CBS News reports.
The executive action comes two weeks after the Supreme Court struck down federal abortion protections, allowing states to ban the procedure entirely, even in cases of rape and incest.
With Congress unable to pass legislation to codify abortion rights due to the threat of a Republican filibuster, progressives have pushed Biden to take action after the ruling.
"President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman's right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law," the White House said. "Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion."
Details:
Biden is expected to instruct the Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services to resist efforts to limit women’s access to federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to get an abortion.
Biden is also expected to direct HHS to ensure that pregnant women and those that experience pregnancy loss have access to emergency health care.
Biden’s order will also direct agencies to educate medical providers and insurers on how and when they are required to share privileged patient information.
Biden will also ask the Federal Trade Commission to protect the privacy of those who seek information online about reproductive rights.
Biden rejects progressive demands:
Biden’s executive actions do not include some measures called for by progressives.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed the White House to allow abortions on federal lands in states where the procedure is banned.
The White House shot down that proposal, warning of “dangerous ramifications.”
Warren and Sen. Patty Murray also pushed Biden to “explore opportunities to provide vouchers for travel, child care services, and other forms of support for individuals seeking to access abortion care that is unavailable in their home state."
