President Biden said Sunday that his administration is considering declaring a public health emergency on abortion access after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
While on a bike ride in Delaware, Biden stopped to talk with bystanders. “Keep protesting. Keep making your point. It’s critically important. We can do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women,” she said.
He explained that his staff is exploring whether he has the “authority” to declare a health emergency and “what impact that would have”.
Jen Klein, executive director of the White House Gender Policy Council, recently denied the idea of a public health emergency in relation to abortion access.
“When we looked at the public health emergency, we learned a couple of things. One is that it doesn’t free very many resources,” she said Friday.
“It’s what’s in a public health emergency fund, and there’s very little money, tens of thousands of dollars in it. So that didn’t seem like a great option. And it also doesn’t release significant amount of legal authority,” Klein added.
That same day, Biden signed an executive order that expands access to abortion medication and gives protection to women who have to travel for abortions.
Biden also noted that a nationwide abortion ban “won’t happen”. “Let me tell you something. As long as I’m president, it won’t happen because I’ll veto it”.
“My ultimate goal is to reinstate Roe v. Wade as a national law by passing it through the United States Congress, and I’ll sign it the moment that happens,” he said Sunday.
The Department of Health and Human Services will also work to protect and expand access to abortion care and emergency contraception.