- Protests erupted nationwide this weekend after the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to an abortion. More than a dozen states had “trigger” laws in place before the Friday ruling, designed to ban or seriously restrict abortion as soon as the 1973 landmark decision was overturned. Some of those bans have already gone into effect, while others are likely to become effective in a matter of days or weeks. Other states are rushing to create additional protections for people who perform or obtain the procedure. The Biden administration is preparing to push back on potential state abortion restrictions, indicating that it will turn to the courts to prevent states from banning medication abortion pills that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra said the agency is considering “every option” to preserve abortion access, including helping pregnant people with transportation services, which would be an unprecedented step for the health department. (Articles here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here)
June 27, 2022
D.C. News