Union President Serene Jones shared, “Union welcomes the safeguards the Biden administration is putting in place to protect the reproductive wellbeing of all women, transgender and non-binary people. As some states work to criminalize abortion, it is essential that our federal government protect those rights, which is consistent with what the Christian faith, the Bible and the teachings of many faith traditions support.
“The Bible never explicitly discusses abortion. What it does consistently tell us is that human beings are moral agents, fully capable of making their own decisions. It also tells us that we should protect and love each other. And so Union thanks the Biden administration for advancing the very Christian value of protecting and loving each other. We hope that this will also spur Congress to action on codifying reproductive rights into law.”
As per the White House, the Executive Order builds on the actions the Administration has already taken to defend reproductive rights by:
- Safeguarding access to reproductive health care services, including abortion and contraception – building on steps HHS has already taken to ensure medication abortion, emergency contraception, long-acting contraception is as widely available as possible and the Attorney-General’s commitment to fight any attack by a state or local official who attempts to interference with women exercising their right to travel out of state for medical care.
- Protecting the privacy of patients and their access to accurate information – building on steps HHS Office of Civil Rights has taken to ensure doctors and medical providers and plans know that they are not required – with limited exceptions – to disclose patients’ private information.
- Promoting the safety and security of patients, providers, and clinics; and
- Coordinating the implementation of Federal efforts to protect reproductive rights and access to health care.