Summary
As the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade continues to alter the abortion landscape in the coming weeks and months, reproductive rights will remain a top priority for Democrats. With President Biden in Europe for meetings on the Russia-Ukraine war and international relations, a formal Executive Order to shore up access to abortion appears unlikely in the near term. In the meantime, the White House issued a brief statement on Friday announcing two actions to protect access to abortion: (1) directs the Attorney General to ensure persons seeking abortion would be allowed to cross state lines to do so; and (2) directs Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify ways to increase access to mifepristone for medication abortion. WHG discusses these directives as part of the set of six actions the Administration could take in response to the Supreme Court’s decision.
Before departing for Europe on Saturday, the President signed into law two bipartisan bills, delivering legislative victories to both parties on key issues – gun safety, mental health, and nutrition:
- Bipartisan Safer Communities Act ( 2938), which contains provisions to restrict access to firearms, increase access to mental health services, protect victims of domestic violence, and enhance school safety (WHG summary here). The bill was first introduced last week and then swiftly passed by both the Senate and the House.
- Keep Kids Fed Act of 2022 ( 2089), which extends school meal flexibilities, allows waivers related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) during the summer months, increases reimbursement rates for the 2022-2023 school year by an additional 15 cents per breakfast and 40 cents per lunch, and provide enhanced support to the Child Adult Care Feeding Program.
Ahead of its recess next week, the House will convene hearings on top priorities, including oversight of Medicare Advantage and bills to improve public health. The Senate is in recess this week and will return July 11.