Biden’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra is considering issuing a public health emergency due to the “lack of abortion access in some states.” Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court last summer, the Biden administration has pushed back in other ways. In July 2022, Biden issued an executive order directing Becerra to “take additional action to protect and expand access to abortion care.” In January, the Biden administration moved to reduce the regulatory standards to allow more pharmacies to be able to sell abortion pills. The move is being opposed by 22 state attorneys general who sent a letter to the FDA.
