Staff Reports
According to Xavier Becerra, the secretary of the HHS, the agency is considering declaring an emergency to promote access to abortion.
Although the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) believes it has the power to declare a public health emergency, it is only one option on the table, said Xavier Becerra, who noted that the agency has not completed its assessment of the situation.
"He also stated that the agency is considering various measures to protect the rights of individuals. A public health emergency can be declared if certain conditions are met. These include having experts from different fields identify it as a public health emergency."
A declaration of a public health emergency could help protect abortion providers from various legal repercussions. It could also help women who travel to other states for abortions receive the necessary funding, according to Mary Ziegler, a professor at the University Of California, Davis.
In the months following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Biden administration has been pushing for expanded access to abortion. In July 2022, an executive order was issued by the president that directed the secretary of the HHS to take various actions to protect and improve the access to abortion care. One of these included the availability of medication that the FDA has approved as safe and effective.
"An official from the HHS noted that the agency is constantly looking for new ways to improve and protect the reproductive health care of women. It is also prioritizing the most effective and efficient solutions."
Neither the White House nor the HHS responded to the requests made by the Daily Caller for comment.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Daily Caller.
