U.S. President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign a second executive order on Wednesday aimed at addressing the Supreme Court’s recent decision to end constitutional abortion rights across the country, as he faces pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the issue.
The order, like the first, is expected to have limited impact, as U.S. states enact a wave of laws restricting abortion, access to medication, and funding for such services.
Last month, Biden said the court was “out of control” after ruling in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending half a century of protecting women’s reproductive rights. His first order, in early July, ordered the federal government’s health department to expand access to medical abortion and ensure the protection of women traveling for abortions.
The latter action is based on those measures and, like the first, remains vague as to how it can be achieved. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to consider using funds, including Medicaid, to support women who travel out of their state to receive abortion services, a senior administration official said.
It also directs the department to ensure that health care providers comply with federal nondiscrimination laws when offering such services and directs it to collect data to measure the resolution’s impact on maternal health, he added.
Biden will sign the order at the first meeting of the interagency task force on access to reproductive health, which was formed in July.