Biden signs executive order to protect abortion rights   

Biden signs executive order to protect abortion rights                  

President Biden signed an executive order on Friday aimed at protecting abortion rights in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The order directs the Department of Health and Human Services to take steps to ensure that women have access to abortion, including by protecting access to medication abortion and expanding access to contraception.

The order also directs the Department of Justice to protect women who travel to other states to obtain abortions and to ensure that women who are prosecuted for seeking abortions are treated fairly.

The order is a response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide. The decision has left abortion rights up to the states, and many states are expected to ban or severely restrict abortion.

The Biden administration has said that it will do everything it can to protect abortion rights. The executive order is a first step in that effort.

Here are some of the key provisions of the executive order:

• The Department of Health and Human Services will take steps to protect access to medication abortion, including by ensuring that women have access to the medication and by protecting providers who prescribe it.
• The Department of Health and Human Services will also expand access to contraception, including by making it easier for women to get free or low-cost contraception.
• The Department of Justice will protect women who travel to other states to obtain abortions and will ensure that women who are prosecuted for seeking abortions are treated fairly.

The executive order is likely to face legal challenges from states that have banned or severely restricted abortion.