[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] On the 8th (local time), U.S. President Biden signed an executive order focused on expanding abortion rights in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn constitutional abortion rights.
In a White House speech that day, President Biden strongly criticized the Supreme Court's ruling, saying it was not based on the Constitution. He said that enacting federal legislation would be the fastest solution to protect abortion rights, urging support for the Democratic Party and participation in voting in the upcoming November midterm elections.
He said, "Now is the moment to restore the rights taken from us and protect the country from the agenda of extremists," and stated he would veto any federal abortion ban bill pushed by the Republican Party. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court is at risk of ruling that same-sex marriage and contraception are unconstitutional in the future.
This is part of the response to the Supreme Court's ruling on the 24th of last month that eliminated federal abortion rights and left the decision to the states.
That day, President Biden reiterated, "If you want to change the environment for women, even young girls, please go out and vote." He mentioned a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who became pregnant after being raped and had to travel to Indiana for an abortion due to strict abortion restrictions, repeating the phrase "10-year-old girl." He also expressed anger, saying, "A 10-year-old was forced to bear the child of her rapist," and "I cannot even imagine anything more extreme than this."
The executive order includes provisions for the Department of Health and Human Services to take additional measures to ensure access to abortion drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It also protects emergency medical access for pregnant women and those who have experienced miscarriages. The order includes expanding access to contraceptives and guaranteeing free counseling related to birth control and contraception.
Along with this, measures were instructed to protect patient privacy concerning the transfer of sensitive health-related information and concerns about digital surveillance.
President Biden has also ordered the formation of a federal government task force to guarantee access to abortion services.
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