The June 24 decision by the US Supreme Court sent shockwaves through the US legal world, with 26 US states either certain to ban abortion or considering doing so.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced yesterday the formation of a new task force whose primary mission is to protect women’s reproductive freedom, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last month to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade of 1973, which recognized women’s constitutional right to abortion.
The task force is chaired by Deputy Attorney General Vanita Gupta, overseeing and evaluating state legislation and enforcement that threatens to “infringe on federal rights protections” related to reproductive health services, the department said.
At the same time, the task force will monitor legislation banning the substance Mifepristone, one of two drugs commonly used for termination of pregnancy at an early stage, based on disagreements with the US Federal Food and Drug Commission (FDA) “regarding expert opinion on its effectiveness” as stated by the Department of Justice.
The June 24 decision by the US Supreme Court sent shockwaves through the US legal world, with 26 US states either certain to ban abortion or considering doing so.
Some of the anti-abortion bills, meanwhile, would potentially criminalize the practice or make it more difficult for women to travel out of state to get an abortion.
The Justice Department announced that the task force will monitor the implementation of laws that “harm women’s ability” to seek care in states where abortion is legal.
Although abortion is at the center of several state laws, reproductive health advocates have warned that several of these bills could have broader implications for women’s health beyond the abortion procedure.
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