Biden is expected to sign the executive order during a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room on Friday morning. Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to attend.
Democrats and advocates are pressuring the White House to take a tougher position on codifying abortion access. Last month, Biden hinted that he was considering executive action, telling Jimmy Kimmel that while he believed Congress should codify Roe, “There are some executive orders that I could use, we believe — we’re looking at that right now.” Friday’s executive order will direct Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to take steps to ensure access to abortion, including FDA-approved medical abortion and expanded access “to the full range of reproductive health services,” according to an administration fact sheet , shared with CNN. These services include “emergency contraception and long-acting reversible contraception such as intrauterine devices (IUDs),” the fact sheet said, citing birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
HHS is tasked with submitting a report within the next 30 days to the president on the implementation of the order’s provisions, which also include steps to increase coverage and protect the medical and digital privacy of abortion-seeking patients.
In addition, the order creates an interagency task force between HHS and the White House Gender Policy Council, which includes Attorney General Merrick Garland, which the White House says will provide “technical assistance to states providing legal protection to out-of-state patients and providers, that offer legitimate reproductive health care.”
This story is current and will be updated.
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