There has been a flurry of executive and Congressional action after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade. Leila Abolfazli, Director of Federal Reproductive Rights at the National Women’s Law Center, sits down to talk with us about executive and Congressional measures being taken on abortion rights in the United States.

The executive order issued by the Biden administration is split into four main sections that: 1) directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on actions to take; 2) convenes private, pro-bono attorneys and Bar associations in an effort to represent patients, providers, and other third parties who lawfully seeking or providing reproductive health care; 3) asked the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect people’s online data when seeking information about or seeking abortion care; and 4) outlines other laws that HHS can support, including strengthening the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and creating an HHS-Gender Policy Council taskforce that coordinates federal agency response to abortion. You can find additional information about this executive order here.

Congress held five hearings after the release of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling in the House Oversight Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee, House Judiciary Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee. The House passed a bill called the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which would ensure protection of those crossing state lines to receive an abortion. In addition, the House passed the Women’s Health Protection Act which would cement a federal right to abortion. The Respect for Marriage Act passed in the House would protect same-sex marriage, while the Right to Contraception Act passed in the House would protect the right to birth control access. Lastly, the Senate voted on emergency funding for Title X clinics—family planning clinics across the United States that provides millions of people with basic healthcare. 

Links
National Women’s Law Center on Twitter

National Women’s Law Center on Facebook

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