Jan. 22, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of when Roe v. Wade became the law of the land and legalized abortion in all 50 states. This year, however, is different. Last summer, the Supreme Court overturned Roe when it handed down the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Since then, several states have enacted abortion laws to protect unborn life. In addition, some states already had “trigger laws” on the books in the event Roe was overturned.
According to the Associated Press, pro-abortion Vice President Kamala Harris plans to speak on the anniversary of Roe in Florida, where she will show that “abortion remains a focus for the administration after the midterm elections.”
“The vice president will make very clear: The fight to secure women’s fundamental right to reproductive health care is far from over,” Kirsten Allen, a Harris spokesperson, told AP. “She will lay out the consequences of extremist attacks on reproductive freedom in states across our country and underscore the need for Congress to codify Roe.”
This week was the first time since the leaked draft opinion from the Dobbs case that the Biden administration indicated it would investigate the “extremist attacks” on pro-life pregnancy centers. To date, 70 pro-life pregnancy resource centers and offices have endured attacks, according to Catholic Vote,
Florida, led by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, currently bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
This week, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “women must be empowered to make decisions about their own lives and health care, and those decisions should not be politicized or second guessed by politicians.”
Pro-abortion lawmakers and the Biden administration are pushing for legislation to “codify” Roe into law.
“It’s now a fact in America that you can drive 16 miles across state lines and lose the rights to health care you need,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra told AP.
Now, the Biden administration is working towards making at-home medication abortions more widely available, including allowing pharmacies to get certified to dispense the drug.