Remarks: Joe Biden Delivers Remarks Virtually on Reproductive Health Care - August 3, 2022


Joe Biden Delivers Remarks Virtually on Reproductive Health Care [2022-08-03]
Joe Biden
Kamala Harris
Supreme Court
Congress
Kansas
Gender Policy Council
Justice Department

Joe Biden
00:00:00 - 00:00:37 ()
Thank you, Vice President Harris, for leading today's meeting. And thanks to you, all of you, especially Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra and Director of the Gender Policy Council Jen Klein for co-chairing this task force, and Attorney General Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, and Veterans Affairs Secretary McDonough for your work on this task force to protect access to a woman's right to choose reproductive healthcare in the wake of the Supreme Court's extreme decision on wiping out a 50-year constitutional precedent of Roe v. Wade.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:00:37 - 00:00:52 ()
You know, I created this task force by executive order last month and -- to ensure that every part of the federal government does its part at this critical moment where women's health and lives are on the line amidst chaos and uncertainty unleashed by this decision.
Somewhat Negative
Joe Biden
00:00:52 - 00:01:13 ()
Emergency medical care being denied to women experiencing miscarriages. Doctors uncertain about what they can do to provide for their patients. Pharmacists unsure whether they can fill prescriptions that they've always filled before. A tragic cases of rape survivors, including a 10-year-old girl forced to travel to another state for care.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:01:13 - 00:01:30 ()
You know, and wiping out the right to choose on -- whether you have incest, abortion -- I mean, excuse me, incest or having a rape or -- I mean, it just -- this is just extreme. You know, even the life of the mother is in question in some case -- in some states.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:01:30 - 00:01:44 ()
Republicans in Congress and their extreme MAGA ideology are determined to go even further, talking about nationwide bans that would outlaw abortion in every state, under every circumstance, going after the broader right to privacy as well.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:01:44 - 00:01:51 ()
But as I've said before, this fight is not over. And we saw that last night in Kansas.
Unknown
Joe Biden
00:01:51 - 00:02:04 ()
In the opinion of people on -- in the opinion of the Dobbs case, the extreme majority of the Supreme Court wrote, "women... " -- this is a quote from that case -- "women are not without electoral or political power." Unquote.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:02:04 - 00:02:13 ()
The Court practically dared the women in this country to go to the ballot box and restore the right to choose that the Court had just ripped away after 50 years
Slightly Positive
Joe Biden
00:02:13 - 00:02:31 ()
And as I said last night -- last month, I don't think the Court has -- has any notion, for that matter -- or the Republican Party, for that matter -- to decide that -– how -– how far to press their extreme agenda and how women are going to respond. They don't have a clue about the power of American women.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:02:31 - 00:02:55 ()
Last night in Congress -- in Kansas, they found out. Women and men did exercise their electoral and political power. With a record turnout, voters of Kansas defeated a ballot initiative to remove the right to choose an abortion from the Kansas constitution. It was in the Kansas constitution. They're trying to strike it and eliminate it from the Kansas constitution.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:02:55 - 00:03:04 ()
In a decisive vote, in a decisive victory, voters made it clear that politicians should not interfere with the fundamental rights of women.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:03:04 - 00:03:19 ()
And the voters of Kansas sent a powerful signal that this fall, the American people will vote to preserve and protect their right and refuse to let them be ripped away by politicians. And my administration has their back.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:03:19 - 00:03:33 ()
You know, today, I'm signing a second executive order -- I'm about to sign -- that responds to the healthcare crisis that has unfolded since the Supreme Court overturned Roe and that women are facing all across America.
Leans Negative
Joe Biden
00:03:33 - 00:03:51 ()
The healthcare crisis is –- you know, it's just -– it's hard for me to even under- -- understand how they think this. The healthcare crisis is women can't get -– can't choose, can't get an abortion even in a case of incest, even in the case of rape.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:03:51 - 00:04:06 ()
But it goes beyond that. There are a lot of women who take prescriptions prescribed by their doctors and have been taking for some time for other conditions -- for arthritis, for epilepsy, for Crohn's disease. And in many cases, these prescriptions are not being filled.
Unknown
Joe Biden
00:04:06 - 00:04:29 ()
Say a 25-year-old woman -- her doctor prescribes medication for her epilepsy. She's been doing it for a while. She goes to the pharmacy. The pharmacist won't fill the prescription because the same medicine could also cause a miscarriage. So if she's not getting the medicine she needs for her epilepsy whether she's pregnant or not. A pharmacy has no right to do that.
Neutral
Joe Biden
00:04:29 - 00:04:43 ()
Just yesterday in Idaho, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit to make sure that pregnant women facing serious threats to their health can get the medical care they need in Medicare-funded emergency rooms.
Somewhat Positive
Joe Biden
00:04:43 - 00:04:53 ()
Under federal law, no woman -- whether pregnant or not, no matter where she lives -- should be turned away or denied necessary treatment during a medical crisis.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:04:53 - 00:05:04 ()
The Justice Department stepped in to make sure that this extreme state law criminalizing abortion does not put women's health and lives at risk in these situations.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:05:04 - 00:05:23 ()
You know, this executive order also helps women travel out of state for medical care. Secretary Becerra is going to work with states through the Medicaid to allow them to provide reproductive healthcare for women who live in states where -- where abortions are being banned in that state.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:05:23 - 00:05:33 ()
The executive order makes sure healthcare providers comply with federal law so women don't face delays or denials of medically necessary care.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:05:33 - 00:05:47 ()
And this executive order advances research and data collection to evaluate the impact that this reproductive health crisis is having on -- on maternal health and other health conditions and outcomes.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:05:47 - 00:06:10 ()
This executive order builds on the first one I signed last month that created this task force in the first place and that also will help safeguard access to healthcare, including the right to choose and contraception. It promotes safety and security of clinics, patients, and providers. It protects patients' privacy and access to accurate information.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:06:10 - 00:06:47 ()
Let me close with this: Beyond the actions you're taking, I know that, along with Kamala, many of you have been traveling the country listening to women, healthcare providers, legal experts, state and local officials and legislators, and others so that we are doing all we can in my administration to protect the rights of -- health and safety of the people in this country. You know, their perspectives are going to inform the work of this task force and the recommendations you make to me.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:06:47 - 00:07:06 ()
I believe Roe got it right, and it has been the law for close to 50 years. And I commit to the American people that we're doing everything in our power to safeguard access to healthcare, including the right to choose that women had under Roe v. Wade, which was ripped away by this extreme court.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:06 - 00:07:25 ()
But ultimately, Congress must codify the protections of Roe as federal law. And if Congress fails to act, the people of this country need to elect senators and representatives who will restore Roe and will protect the right to privacy, freedom, and equality.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:25 - 00:07:32 ()
I'll stop there and turn this over to the Vice President. There's so much more to say, but I'm anxious to hear from all of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:32 - 00:07:37 ()
Do I sign this order now? I'm going to sign this executive order right now, okay?
Somewhat Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:37 - 00:07:41 ()
[The President signs the executive order]
Unknown
Joe Biden
00:07:41 - 00:07:54 ()
Okay, folks, we got a lot of work to do. But, Madam Vice President, I'm sure you can get it done sitting there with all those folks.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:54 - 00:07:56 ()
Thank you.
Somewhat Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:56 - 00:08:01 ()
I wish I were with you in person, quite frankly. But I'm getting there.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:08:01 - 00:08:08 ()
You're on mute. I can't hear you.
Unknown
Kamala Harris
00:08:08 - 00:08:08 ()
We feel your presence, Mr. President. [Laughter]
Unknown
Joe Biden
00:08:08 - 00:08:12 ()
[Laughs] Well, I wish I were --
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:08:12 - 00:08:13 ()
Thank you.
Somewhat Positive
Joe Biden
00:08:13 - 00:08:16 ()
Thank you.
Somewhat Positive