vlog

Skip to content
NOWCAST vlog News at 7am Sunday Morning
Watch on Demand
Advertisement

President Biden signs executive order to protect abortion access

President Biden signs executive order to protect abortion access
Good morning everyone before I speak to the Supreme Court. Extreme decision overturning roe. I want to comment on one piece of good news. Economic good news today. Today the Labour Department reported that we added 372,000 jobs last month. 372,000. Here's why it's important. Our private sector has now recovered all of the jobs lost during the pandemic and added jobs on top of that. We have more americans working today in the private sector than any day under my predecessor more today than any time in american history today. In the second quarter of this year, we created more jobs than any quarter under any of my predecessors in nearly 40 years before the pandemic. Think about that at *** time when our critics said the economy was too weak or having already added more jobs and we had already added more jobs. My first year as president of any president history, We still had more jobs in the past three months than any administration in nearly 40 years now. Look, I know times are tough prices are too high. Families are facing the cost of living crunch. But today's economic news confirms the fact that my economic plan is moving this country in *** better direction. The unemployment rate is near *** historic low of 3.6%. Private sector jobs are at *** record high gas prices still way too high have fallen out 25 days in *** row and this week we saw the second largest single day decrease in gas prices in *** decade. We still have *** lot of work to do. I'm not suggesting there's *** lot more work to do, but I am suggesting we're making significant progress. The program is working now with the vice president, Secretary Besser and Deputy Attorney General Monaco. I want to talk about an executive order. I'm signing to protect reproductive rights of women in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's terrible extreme and I think so totally wrong. Had *** decision to overturn roe v wade in both formalized actions. I announced right after the decision as well as adding new measures today. Let's be clear about something from the very start. This was not *** decision driven by the constitution. Let me say it again. This was not *** decision driven by the constitution. And despite what those justices, the majority said this was not *** decision driven by history. You've all probably had *** chance to read the decision and the descent The majority rattles off laws from the 19th century to support the idea that Roe was historically was *** historic anomaly because states outlawed abortion in the 1880s toward the end. But that's just wrong. The truth is today's Supreme Court majority that is playing fast and loose with the facts even 100 and 50 years ago, the common law and many state laws did not criminalize abortion early in pregnancy, which is very similar to the viability line drawn by road, but the Dobbs majority ignores that fact and the Dobbs majority ignores that many laws are enacted to protect women at the time when they were dying from unsafe abortions. This is the horrific reality that rose sought to end The practice of medicine should not and should not be frozen in the 19th century. So what happened, the descending opinion says, as clear as you can possibly say it, and here's the quote. Neither in law nor facts nor attitudes have provided any new reason to reach *** different result than row in case he did. And that has changed. Excuse me, all that's changed is this court end of quote, all this changes this court. That wasn't about the constitution or the law. It was about *** deep longstanding antipathy toward Row and the broader right to privacy as the justice wrote in their dissent. And I quote, the majority has overruled rolling Casey for one and only one reason, because there's always despised them and now it has the votes to discard them, end of quote. So what we're witnessing wasn't *** constitutional judgment. It was an exercise in raw political power. On the day the Dobbs decision came down, I immediately announced what I would do, but I also made it clear based on the reasoning of the court, there is no constitutional right to choose, only the way the only way to fulfill and restore that right for women in this country is by voting by exercising the power at the ballot box. Let me explain. We need two additional pro choice senators and *** pro choice house to codify roe as federal law. Your vote can make that *** reality. I know it's frustrating and it made *** lot of people very angry. But the truth is this and it's not just me saying it, it's what the court said. When you read the decision, the court has made clear it will not protect the rights of women. Period period After having made the decision based on *** reading of *** document that was frozen in time in the 1860s when women didn't even have the right to vote the court. Now now practically dares the women of America to go to the ballot box and restore the very rights they've just taken away. One of the most extraordinary parts of decision in my view is the majority writes, and I quote, women quote now from the majority. Women are not without electoral or political power. It is noteworthy that the percentage of women who registered to vote and cast *** ballot is consistently higher than the percentage of the men who do so, end of quote, repeat the line. Women are not without electoral and or political or or maybe precisely not and or or political power. That's another saying that you the women american can determine the outcome of this issue. I don't think the court or for that matter of republicans who for decades have pushed the extreme agenda have *** clue about the power of american women, but they're about to find out, in my view, it's my hope and strong belief that women will in fact turn out in record numbers to reclaim the rights that have taken from them by the court. Let me be clear. Well, I wish it had not come to this. This is the fastest route available. I'm just stating *** basic fundamental notion. The fastest way to restore wo ro is to pass *** national law Codifying roe, which I will sign immediately upon its passage at my desk and we can't wait. Extreme Republican governors extremely public and state legislators and Republican extremists in the Congress. Overall, all of them have not only fought to take away the right our rights, but they're now determined to go as far as they can. Now. The most extreme Republican governors and state legislators have taken the court's decision as *** green light to impose some of the harshest and most restrictive laws seen in this country in *** long time. These are the laws that not only put women's lives at risk. These are laws that will cost lives what we're witnessing is *** giant step backwards in much of our country Already. The bans are in effect in 13 states, 12 additional states are likely to ban choice in the next coming in the coming weeks. And in *** number of these states, the laws are so extreme. They have raised the threat of criminal penalties for doctors and healthcare providers. They're so extreme that many don't allow for exceptions even for rape or interest. Let me say that again. Some of the states don't allow for exceptions for rape or incest. This isn't some imagined horror. It's already happening. Just last week. It was reported That *** 10 year old girl was *** rape victim of 10 years old and she was forced to have to travel out of the state to indiana to seek to terminate the presidency and maybe save her life. That last part is my judgment. 10 years old, 10 years old, rape, six weeks pregnant, already traumatized, was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl, Just I'm serious. Just imagine being that little girl 10 years old. Does anyone believe that? It's Ohio's majority view that that should not be able to be dealt with or in any other state in the nation, *** 10 year old girl should be forced to give birth to *** rapist child. I can tell you what, I don't, I can't think of anything as much more extreme. Court's decision has already been received by republicans in Congress as *** green light to go further and pass *** national ban. *** national ban. Remember they're saying they're saying there's no right to privacy. So therefore it's not protected by the constitution. So left up to the states and the Congress what they want to do. And now my republican friends are talking about getting the Congress to pass *** national ban in the extreme positions that we're taking in some of these states. That will mean the right to choose will be illegal nationwide if in fact they succeed. Okay, let me tell you something. As long as I'm president, it won't happen because I'll veto it. So the choice is clear if you want to change the circumstance for women and even little girls in this country, please go out and vote When 10s of millions of women vote this year, they won't be alone, millions and millions of men. We'll be taking up the fight alongside them to restore the right to choose and the broader right to privacy in this nation, which they denied existed in the challenge from the court to the american women and men. This is *** nation. The challenges go out and vote well, for God's sake, there's an election november vote, vote, vote, vote, consider the challenge. Accepted court. But in the meantime, I'm signing this important executive order. I'm asking the Justice Department that much like they did in the civil rights here to do something, do everything in their power to protect these women seeking to invoke their rights in states where clinics are still open to protect them from intimidation, to protect the right of women to travel from state, that prohibits seeking medical attention, that she needs to *** state to provide that care Protect the women's right to FADA, approved the federal drug administration approved medication that's been available for over 20 years. The Executive Order provides safeguards to access care patient comes in the emergency room in any state in the union. She's expressing and experiencing life threatening miscarriage, but the doctor is going to be so concerned about being criminalized for treating her the delay treatment to call the hospital lawyer who is concerned the hospital would be penalized if the doctor provides *** life saving care. It's outrageous. I don't care what your position is. It's outrageous and it's dangerous. That's why this Executive Order Direction, Department of Health and Human Services. HHS to ensure all patients, including pregnant women and girls experience experiencing pregnancy laws get emergency care they need under federal law and the doctors have the clear guidance on their own responsibilities and protections, no matter what the state, no matter what state they're in. The Executive Order protects access to contraceptions that I'm about to sign. Justice thomas himself said that under the reasoning of this decision, this was justice thomas said in his concurring opinion that the court should reconsider the constitutional right to contraception to use contraception even among married couples. What century Used to be *** case called Connecticut vs Griswold, which was declared unconstitutional. Late 60s. It said *** married couple in the privacy of their bedroom, could not decide to use contraception Right now, in all 50 states in the District of Columbia, the Affordable Care Act guarantees insurance coverage for women's health services including including free birth control. The executive order directs HHS to identify ways to expand access to reproductive health services like I. U. D. S. Birth control pills, emergency contraception. And equally important, this Executive order protects patient privacy and access to information which looking at the press assembled before me probably know more about it than I do. I'm not *** tech guy. I'm learning right now when you use *** search engine or the app on your phone companies collect your data. They sell it to other companies they even shared with law enforcement. There's an increasing concern that extremist governors and others will try to get that data off of your phone, which is out there in the ether to find what you're seeking, where you're going and what you're doing with regard to your health care. Talk about no privacy, no privacy in the constitution, there's no privacy period. This executive order asked the FTC to crack down on data brokers that sell private information to extreme groups or in my view, sell private information to anybody. It provides private health information. It protects private health information in states with extreme laws. The executive order strengthens coordination at the federal level. It establishes *** task force led by the White House department and the Department of Human Services focused specifically on using every federal tool available to protect access to reproductive health care. You know me close with this, the court and its allies are committed to moving America backwards with fewer rights, less autonomy and politicians invading their most personal decisions. Remember the reason of the decision has an impact much beyond row and the right to privacy. Generally marriage equality, contraception and so much more is at risk. This decision affects everyone unrelated to choice beyond choice. We cannot allow an out of control Supreme Court working in conjunction with extremist elements of the Republican Party to take away freedoms and our personal autonomy. The choice we face as *** nation between the mainstream and the extreme between moving forward and moving backwards between allowing politicians to enter the most personal parts of our lives and protecting the right of privacy. Yes. Yes embedded in our constitution. This is *** choice. This is *** moment, the moment, the moment to restore the rights that have been taken away from us and the moment to protect our nation from the extremist agenda. That is antithetical to everything we believe as americans. Now I'm gonna sign this executive order. Yeah, secular is protecting access to reproductive help. Yeah. Mr President, what does prime Minister obviously last night say about the security situation in Japan and can you give us an update on your thinking about lifting china tariffs. Please let me I tried to put *** call in to to the present Prime Minister and he was very late there tonight. I'll be talking there in the morning. I'm going to be stopping to sign the condolence book at the Japanese embassy and the way the C. I. ***. Um, this hasn't happened in Japan in decades and decades. I'm told all the way back to the late thirties, mid thirties and it's *** homemade weapon. I've only seen *** photograph of it. The Justice Department is going to be going in and giving me more detail later as they find out the details. But the fact is that one thing did strike my, get my attention that this is the first use of *** weapon to murder someone in the, in japan. And I think we have thus far have 3000, I won't hold me to the number 688 or I mean between three and 4000 cases, they've won warning one and so, but we're going to learn more about as time goes on about motive about the whole. But Japan Fumio, the present Prime minister, he's *** very solid guy. Japan is *** very, very stable ally And we, I do not believe it's likely to have, but I don't know yet likely to have any profound destabilizing impact on japanese security or Japanese solidarity. Thank you. Would you recommend
Advertisement
President Biden signs executive order to protect abortion access
President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure two weeks ago.The actions he outlined are intended to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling but are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. Biden acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions in the coming weeks and months.“The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,” Biden said. ““The challenge is go out and vote. For God’s sake there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!"Biden formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish an interagency task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.Biden is also directing his staff to convene volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions after the Supreme Court ruling.The order, after the high court’s June 24 ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure, comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect women’s access to abortion. The decision in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Since the decision, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action, and stressed that Democrats do not have the votes in the current Congress to do so.“We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe," he said. "Your vote can make that a reality.”He predicted that women would turn out in “record numbers” in frustration over the court's decision, and said he expected "millions and millions of men will be taking up the fight beside them.”On Friday, he repeated his sharp criticism of the Supreme Court's reasoning in striking down what had been a half-century constitutional right to abortion.“Let’s be clear about something from the very start, this was not a decision driven by the Constitution," Biden said, accusing the court's majority of “playing fast and loose with the facts."“Ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law,” Biden said last week during a virtual meeting with Democratic governors.The tasking to the Justice Department and HHS pushes the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but it conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.“President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,” the White House said. “Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.”NARAL Pro-Choice America president Mini Timmaraju called Biden's order "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.”But Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, described Biden’s plans as “underwhelming.”“There’s nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states," he said. Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions.Gostin said, “We basically have two Americas.” There’s one where people have access to a full range of healthcare, and “another where citizens don’t have the same rights to the safe and effective treatments as the rest of the country.”Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the AP that the agency was looking at how Medicaid could cover travel for abortions, along with a range of other proposals, but acknowledged that “Medicaid’s coverage of abortion is extremely limited.”Biden’s move was the latest scramble to protect the data privacy of those contemplating or seeking abortion, as regulators and lawmakers reckon with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.The decision by the court is expected to make abortion illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in others. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion — or medical care for a miscarriage — as well as those who assist them, experts say.Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states — serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users’ data.Last month four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.___AP writers Marcy Gordon and Hillary Powell contributed to this report.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday to protect access to abortion as he faced mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful on the subject after the Supreme Court ended a constitutional right to the procedure two weeks ago.

The actions he outlined are intended to mitigate some potential penalties women seeking abortion may face after the ruling but are limited in their ability to safeguard access to abortion nationwide. Biden acknowledged the limitations facing his office, saying it would require an act of Congress to restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions in the coming weeks and months.

Advertisement

“The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,” Biden said. ““The challenge is go out and vote. For God’s sake there is an election in November. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote!"

Biden formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. He was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, HHS secretary Xavier Becerra and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in the Roosevelt Room as he signed the order.

His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish an interagency task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion.

Biden is also directing his staff to convene volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions after the Supreme Court ruling.

The order, after the high court’s June 24 ruling that ended the nationwide right to abortion and left it to states to determine whether or how to allow the procedure, comes as Biden has faced criticism from some in his own party for not acting with more urgency to protect women’s access to abortion. The decision in the case known as overturned the court’s landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

Since the decision, Biden has stressed that his ability to protect abortion rights by executive action is limited without congressional action, and stressed that Democrats do not have the votes in the current Congress to do so.

“We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe," he said. "Your vote can make that a reality.”

He predicted that women would turn out in “record numbers” in frustration over the court's decision, and said he expected "millions and millions of men will be taking up the fight beside them.”

On Friday, he repeated his sharp criticism of the Supreme Court's reasoning in striking down what had been a half-century constitutional right to abortion.

“Let’s be clear about something from the very start, this was not a decision driven by the Constitution," Biden said, accusing the court's majority of “playing fast and loose with the facts."

“Ultimately, Congress is going to have to act to codify Roe into federal law,” Biden said last week during a virtual meeting with Democratic governors.

The tasking to the Justice Department and HHS pushes the agencies to fight in court to protect women, but it conveys no guarantees that the judicial system will take their side against potential prosecution by states that have moved to outlaw abortion.

“President Biden has made clear that the only way to secure a woman’s right to choose is for Congress to restore the protections of Roe as federal law,” the White House said. “Until then, he has committed to doing everything in his power to defend reproductive rights and protect access to safe and legal abortion.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America president Mini Timmaraju called Biden's order "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court.”

But Lawrence Gostin, who runs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, described Biden’s plans as “underwhelming.”

“There’s nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states," he said.

Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions.

Gostin said, “We basically have two Americas.” There’s one where people have access to a full range of healthcare, and “another where citizens don’t have the same rights to the safe and effective treatments as the rest of the country.”

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told the AP that the agency was looking at how Medicaid could cover travel for abortions, along with a range of other proposals, but acknowledged that “Medicaid’s coverage of abortion is extremely limited.”

Biden’s move was the latest scramble to protect the data privacy of those contemplating or seeking abortion, as regulators and lawmakers reckon with the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.

The decision by the court is expected to make abortion illegal in over a dozen states and severely restricted in others. Privacy experts say that could make women vulnerable because their personal data could be used to surveil pregnancies and shared with police or sold to vigilantes. Online searches, location data, text messages and emails, and even apps that track periods could be used to prosecute people who seek an abortion — or medical care for a miscarriage — as well as those who assist them, experts say.

Privacy advocates are watching for possible new moves by law enforcement agencies in affected states — serving subpoenas, for example, on tech companies such as Google, Apple, Bing, Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp, services like Uber and Lyft, and internet service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Comcast. Local prosecutors may go before sympathetic judges to obtain search warrants for users’ data.

Last month four Democratic lawmakers asked the FTC to investigate Apple and Google for allegedly deceiving millions of mobile phone users by enabling the collection and sale of their personal data to third parties.

___

AP writers Marcy Gordon and Hillary Powell contributed to this report.