Page:A Year Without Roe v. Wade - Working with States to Protect Reproductive Rights.pdf/1

A Year Without Roe v. Wade:
Working with States to Protect Reproductive Rights
June 23, 2023

Overview

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration has remained steadfast in our commitment to defending reproductive rights. President Biden has signed several Executive Orders and a Presidential Memorandum protecting access to reproductive health care and establishing the interagency Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access. Through the Task Force, Federal agencies are taking action to ensure access to emergency medical care, strengthen privacy protections for patients and providers, promote the safety and security of patients, providers, and clinics, and ensure access to health care free from discrimination. In addition to these efforts, President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law—the only way to fully secure access to reproductive health care for women in every state.

By the Numbers:

• 18 states have abortion bans in effect, and 6 more states have bans on hold in the courts (as of 6/20/23).
• More than 23 million women – one in three – of reproductive age currently live in states with abortion bans in effect.
• Voters backed reproductive rights at the ballot box in 6 states in 2022.
• 7 new abortion bans passed so far in 2023 (as of 6/20/23).

Until these protections are restored in federal law, the White House will continue to partner with state leaders across the country to safeguard reproductive health care access in the states by supporting proactive legislation and fighting dangerous and extreme abortion bans. This includes working closely with governors, state attorneys general, state legislators, and other officials who are committed to protecting access—and to responding to the more than 350 anti-choice bills filed so far during the 2023 state legislative session.

Over the past year, the White House has engaged hundreds of state leaders to share successful strategies and policy options, and used its platforms to draw national attention to frontline legislative battles over abortion access. These efforts—which included more than two dozen formal convenings led by President Biden, Vice President Harris, the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and the White House Gender Policy Council—helped forge new connections among state leaders and catalyzed new state executive orders and legislation as well as drew national attention to major