Last Thursday, President Biden gave the 2024 State of the Union Address. His speech marked an important step in both Biden’s presidency and his campaign for the 2024 election, particularly to affirm Biden’s proposed actions to help restore reproductive rights and freedoms across America after a devastating loss resulting from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. In tandem with Biden’s address, the White House released a fact sheet outlining Biden’s plan to fight for reproductive freedom with some of the issues and implementations he addressed in his speech. As Biden defended Roe and reproductive rights in America, he stated that “it’s not hyperbole to suggest history is watching. They’re watching. Your children and grandchildren will read about this day and what we do.”
In his address, Biden called for the restoration of reproductive justice and support of IVF treatment, referencing the story of Latorya Beasley, a woman denied IVF treatment due to the Alabama supreme court shutdown of IVF in the state. “So, tonight, let’s stand up for families like hers,” he stated, encouraging the guaranteed right to IVF nationwide. Biden also addressed the reversal of Roe v. Wade thanked Vice President Harris for her efforts in leading reproductive justice, as well as addressing Kate Cox, a woman who’s life was put in severe danger after being denied abortion services in the state of Texas. Biden concluded his remarks on reproductive rights with the statement “if you, the American people, send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again” promising Americans that he is committed to restoring reproductive rights across the country.
The White House’s most recent press release on reproductive freedom states that Biden “will again call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law so women in every state have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions.” Through the ongoing implementation of Biden’s Executive Order on Strengthening Access to Affordable, High-Quality Contraception, Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services, Securing Access to Reproductive and Other Healthcare Services, and his Presidential Memorandum on Ensuring Safe Access to Medication Abortion, Biden will continue to support and built upon these initiatives. Moving forward, his main goals are to provide access to abortion and FDA approved medication abortion, defend access to emergency medical care, support the ability to travel for reproductive care, strengthen access to quality affordable contraception, safeguard the rights and privacy of patients and healthcare providers, and to ensure access to accurate information and legal resource regarding reproductive health and rights.
In regards to protecting the right to abortion and medication abortion, Biden’s White House Fact Sheet outlines a few initiatives. They include defending the FDA approval of abortion medication within courts in which it is challenged, partnering with leaders fighting for abortion access and reproductive rights in individual states, as well as supporting and supplementing reproductive health care for veterans and service members. As we see state circuit courts begin to challenge the FDA’s approval of drugs like Mifepristone, as well as restrict rights to abortion and even rights to travel out of state for an abortion, presidential support for these health services is imperative to winning the fight.
Defending emergency access to reproductive health care is imperative as we start to see lifesaving healthcare services denied due to strict abortion bans, fear of repercussions, and even extreme restrictions on access to IVF. Through defending and affirming the Administration’s support of emergency abortion care as well as educating patients on their healthcare rights under hospital obligation, Biden intends to strengthen support for emergency health care in the wake of many denied life saving abortion procedures.
Also included in Biden’s outline are plans to support access to family planning services, use the Affordable Care Act to expand women’s access to affordable birth control, secure patient and provider privacy and safety, as well as helping to provide pro-bono legal counsel to those who need support when challenging reproductive injustices in the court of law.
