It was updated on August 3, 2022.
President Joe Biden on Wednesday outlined an executive order to protect access to abortions, his second such order since the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights in 1973.
The US Supreme Court is in Washington, DC
According to the White House, a key provision of the order will direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that Medicaid can be used to pay for abortions for women who are forced to travel out of state.
According to ABC News, states that still allow abortions will be able to request Medicaid waivers from the HHS to cover the costs of providing services to out of state women.
In light of the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, the HHS must engage with health care providers to clarify their obligations and make sure that emergency medical care is available to women in need.
Data collection and research on the impact of abortion restrictions on women's health will be improved by the order.
Biden will sign the executive order at the first meeting of the White House's new Task Force on reproductive healthcare access.
The executive order came after abortion rights activists won a vote in Kansas. The measure would have allowed the legislature to expand abortion restrictions. The result was called a "seismic" by election analysts, who said that the anger against the Supreme Court's decision could help the Democrats.
In a statement, Biden said that voters in Kansas turned out in record numbers to reject attempts to take away a woman's right to choose. The majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortions.
An executive order was signed last month by the president. Biden criticized the Supreme Court's decision to overturn the abortion law as "extreme" and " wrong-headed" while signing the order. The first executive order directed the HHS to ensure access to emergency medical care for pregnant individuals and protect access to contraceptives. The Attorney General and the White House were tasked with setting up legal groups and volunteer lawyers to represent patients and providers of reproductive health services. Biden ordered the FTC to protect the privacy of patients seeking information about abortion and reproductive care providers. The use of federal land to provide abortions in states where it is not allowed is one of the more ambitious moves sought by progressives in the Democratic party.
Biden issues an abortion executive order, but doubles down on get out the vote message.
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