Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra unveiled President Joe Biden administration’s response to the Supreme Court reversing Roe v. Wade last week.
The announcement came as many states are banning or curtailing abortion access following last week’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling. The case ended a 49-year precedent that prohibited states from banning abortions.
Becerra said the ruling was largely expected, but the secretary had few specifics on how it would ensure access to abortions in states where it is prohibited.
"We’re not interested in going rogue and doing things just because. We want to make sure what we’re telling Americans is accurate," he said.
Although many states have exceptions when the life of the mother is at stake, Becerra said the federal government will do what it can to ensure abortion remains an option in emergency situations.
With the rise in telehealth, many women may seek abortion pills. The Guttmacher Institute said that now the majority of abortions in the U.S. are done through medication.
Whether states intend to prosecute women who seek abortion medication remains unclear. Still, the federal government appears to be keeping abortion medication as an option for women in states with abortion bans.
"It is FDA approved. And if it is prescribed, that a woman should be able to have access to it unfettered,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in an interview Monday with CNN.
While some have pitched the idea of using federal land to perform abortions, Harris suggested to CNN that is not currently on the table.
