President Joe Biden’s top health official said Tuesday that “every option is on the table” when it comes to helping women access abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
But the administration’s options are limited despite its strong criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision Friday. Biden called the ruling “a sad day for the court and the country.” Xavier Becerra, secretary of Health and Human Services. on Tuesday called it “despicable.”
The decision puts abortion rights smack in the middle of the November elections, both for Congress and in the states.
At a news conference Tuesday, Becerra acknowledged that there was “no magic bullet” to ensure abortion access for those who want it. But he pledged that “if there is something we can do, we will find it and we will do it at HHS.”
He said the administration would work to ensure that medication abortions remain available, that patient privacy is preserved and family planning care like emergency contraceptives is protected.
