President Biden on Monday presented a series of initiatives to protect abortion access as part of his administration’s efforts to mark the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, an issue that is central to his reelection campaign.
The announcement came just hours ahead of Mr. Biden convening key members of his Cabinet to discuss abortion rights as part of his latest bid to contrast himself with Republican efforts to impose strict abortion limits at the state level.
The president denounced GOP-led efforts in Texas and other states as “cruel” and “outrageous.”
“The cruelty is astounding,” Mr. Biden told his reproductive rights task force. “[It’s] an affront to a woman’s dignity, being told by extreme politicians to wait to get sicker and sicker to the point where her life may be in danger before you can get the care you need. That cruel reality is a result of extreme Republicans who for years made it their mission to end the Roe v. Wade decision.”
As part of the administration’s effort, the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services departments will issue new guidance that would make no-cost contraceptives available under the Affordable Care Act and take a similar action to expand contraception access for federal employees.
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra also will send a letter to health insurers instructing them of their obligation to provide no-cost contraceptives, according to a memo the White House provided to reporters. It will be part of the HHS effort to “educate all patients about their rights and to help ensure hospitals meet their obligations under federal law.”
The administration is also announcing what it called a “comprehensive plan” to increase awareness about access to emergency medical care required under the federal law known as the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The Biden administration has maintained that it requires hospitals to provide emergency abortions nationwide.
Vice President Kamala Harris, meanwhile, traveled to Wisconsin, where she slammed a Republican proposal to ban abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy.
“These extremists want to roll back the clock to a time before women were treated as full citizens,” the vice president said.
Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris are making abortion a key part of their reelection campaign against their likely GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump. On Monday, campaign officials, Democratic leaders and others were holding “Stop Trump’s Abortion Ban” events in swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
On Tuesday, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris will appear together at a rally in Manassas, Virginia, to discuss the threat Republicans pose to abortion rights if they win back the White House. The rally comes after Virginia Democrats won majorities in the General Assembly, fueled by voter anger over proposed abortion restrictions.
All of the events focus on efforts by states to roll back abortion rights and link that effort to Mr. Trump and Republican lawmakers. Three of the Supreme Court justices who ruled to overturn Roe were nominated by Mr. Trump.
The all-out abortion rights campaign underscores Democrats’ belief that the issue will be a winning one for them. Democrats and abortion rights advocates have notched a string of electoral victories, including November ballot measures in conservative states like Ohio and Kentucky.
A CBS News poll released at the end of last year found that 57% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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