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US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order guaranteeing access to abortion. The executive order was also signed after mounting pressure from Democrats, who wanted a more forceful response to the issue following last month's Supreme Court overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.
The U.S. president once again criticized the court's decision and urged women and men to vote for Democratic candidates in November.
"This was not a decision guided by the Constitution, despite what the majority of the justices argued, this was not a decision guided by history," Biden said from the White House. He was flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and Health Secretary Javier Besera.
With the executive order, the U.S. president seeks to mitigate some of the penalties that women seeking abortions may face. However, he cannot guarantee their access to abortion nationwide.
What the order provides
The order calls on the Justice Department to do everything in its power to protect women seeking abortion, including protecting women's right to travel to another state for that purpose, as well as protecting access to drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Also, under the order, the Department of Health and Human Services is required to ensure that all women and girls facing pregnancy loss issues get the emergency care they need, regardless of the condition they are in.
In fact, the U.S. president directly confronted the Supreme Court, saying that "the challenge has been accepted." Meanwhile, he signed this "important executive order."
The order directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers on how and when they are required to share privileged information with authorities. It also calls on the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of the data of those seeking information about abortion and other reproductive services online.
Direct confrontation with the "unaccountable" Supreme Court
Joe Biden stressed that the right to privacy is provided for in the Constitution itself. "This decision affects everyone, regardless of whether they are associated with the right to choose," he said, adding that "we cannot allow an unaccountable Supreme Court working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party to take away freedoms and personal autonomy."
At the same time, he urged people to vote in November, saying the ballot box is the fastest way to restore the previous decision. "We need two more senators who are pro-abortion rights and a pro-rights House" to pass legislation, Biden said. "Your vote can make it a reality," was his message."
Source: APM
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