Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said on Wednesday that his department will “double down” on its services to provide women with “the care they are entitled to,” after being asked about Roe v. Wade potentially beng overturned by the Supreme Court.
Becerra, during an appearance before a Senate Appropriations panel subcommittee, was asked what HHS would do if the Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade -- this, after a leaked draft document suggsted justices are preparing to do exactly that. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., asked the secretary to elaborate on the HHS Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force following the leak of the draft opinion, which appears to shift responsibility for regulation to the states.
“We are going to double down on the effort to make sure that the legal rights all Americans, women to access the care that they’re entitled to continues forward. I yesterday had an opportunity to address a number of representatives of many of the insurance plans, health insurance plans in America, and made it very clear that we intend to continue to enforce the law,” Becerra said in response.
“We will also make it clear what the law requires of anyone who accepts federal funding through Medicare, Medicaid to provide services to all Americans without discrimination,” he added. “As I said, we’re going to double down and make sure no one goes without the care they’re entitled to.”
It was not immediately clear what that doubling down might look like in practice.
Becerra said in his opening remarks that it was “most important” for him to talk about the “chilling” leaked draft opinion.
“Twenty-two years into the 21st century and nearly 50 years after Roe v. Wade, some, most men, seek to impose their judgment over every woman in America who may seek to exercise her constitutional right to privacy and personal decision-making,” he said. “That is dangerous. That is wrong. That we must repel with every just bone in our body. “
The secretary continued: “America is not a nation prone to regression. And the Department of Human Services is not in the business of stripping Americans of access and protections to care.”
Becerra's comments come as Democrats in Congress press for legislation to codify legalized abortion into federal law, though even the White House has conceded that with or without repeal of filibustering, there are insufficient voters to move the measure to get it to President Joe Biden's desk.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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