The Quickie: Repro Groups Endorse Biden for Reelection Ahead of Dobbs 1-Year Mark 

Welcome to “The Quickie” — Planned Parenthood Action Fund’s daily tipsheet on the top health care & reproductive rights stories of the day. You can read “The Quickie'' online here.

In today’s Quickie: PPAF endorses Biden for reelection, Biden signs birth control access executive order, House GOP continues attacks on global repro health care access, OR legislature approves abortion and trans rights bill, and ME House advances abortion access bill. 

**NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION TOMORROW TO MARK ONE YEAR SINCE THE END OF ROE: CHECK IT OUT** 

PPAF, NARAL, AND EMILY’S LIST ENDORSE BIDEN FOR REELECTION AMID CONTINUED ATTACKS ON OUR RIGHTS: This morning, Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF) along with partners NARAL and EMILY’s List endorsed President Joe Biden for re-election. This announcement comes one year after the Supreme Court decision to strip federal abortion rights, prompting 20 states to ban some or all abortion and jeopardizing critical health care access for millions. 

“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have been committed to fighting back against the onslaught of attacks against our reproductive freedom,” PPAF President Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement. ”And we need them to continue this critical work… There is so much at stake. We know, clear as day, that if anti-abortion politicians gain control of the White House, they will exploit their power toward their ultimate goal: a national abortion ban. That is why we must re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris: people we can trust to keep rebuilding a path forward, because we know the journey to rebuilding our rights will be met with challenges.”

While President Biden and Vice President Harris have been committed to fighting for reproductive rights, many of the Republican presidential candidates celebrated the Dobbs decision and its devastating effects on health care when it was released last year. Planned Parenthood Votes has the receipts. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris will join the DNC tonight for a special event with EMILY’s List, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Planned Parenthood Action Fund to mark one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.  

Read more at AP. 

BIDEN SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ON BIRTH CONTROL: This morning, the Biden-Harris administration signed an executive order directing federal agencies to take steps to strengthen access to contraception through private health insurance and federal programs. Although the official text is forthcoming, the administration released a fact sheet outlining the details. 

“Access to affordable birth control is a critical part of protecting our reproductive freedom,” Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said. “Although birth control will never replace the need for abortion access, it is more critical than ever for people who want to prevent pregnancy in states that restrict or ban abortion. Planned Parenthood is appreciative that the Biden-Harris administration is taking this important step and looks forward to seeing the implementation of this executive order. We will continue to work with the administration to protect and expand access to reproductive health care for all.” 

Read more at AP and The Hill. 

HOUSE GOP CONTINUES ATTACKING GLOBAL SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE: Yesterday, the GOP controlled House Appropriations Committee released its version of the Fiscal Year 2024 State and Foreign Operations bill, continuing their targeted attacks on reproductive health care and international family planning funding. Including riders in annual appropriations bills is a tactic anti-sexual and reproductive health care members of Congress use to quietly restrict access to essential and basic care. Some of the provisions in this bill include: 

• Capping international family planning and reproductive health care funding at $461 million, an over 20% overall cut; 
• Prohibiting funding for UNFPA, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency; 
• Permanently and legislatively imposing an expanded version of the global gag rule; 
• And maintaining the Helms Amendment in addition to restrictions on abortion coverage for Peace Corps volunteers  

These continued attacks on access to reproductive health care and funding for family planning programs prove that anti-abortion politicians were never just satisfied with overturning Roe v. Wade or limiting access in the U.S. They want to leverage their power and influence to restrict health care around the world. 

OREGON LEGISLATURE APPROVES BILL PROTECTING ABORTION AND GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE; AWAITS GOVERNOR’S APPROVAL: After weeks of anti-abortion and anti-trans lawmakers filibustering House Bill 2002 (H.B. 2002), the bill finally passed the Oregon state legislature Wednesday, and now heads to the desk of governor who is expected to sign it. H.B. 2002 is a critical bill to protect reproductive and trans rights in the state. Among other provisions, HB 2002 establishes a broad right of individuals to make decisions about their reproductive health, including decisions about their use of contraception and abortion. The bill also includes shield provisions to protect individuals and providers seeking legally-protected reproductive health care services from civil or criminal penalties from hostile out-of-state actors. HB 2002 also makes accessing reproductive health care easier, mandating greater insurance coverage for Oregonians. 

“The passage of HB 2002 marks a critical and necessary response to the threats presented by the loss of Roe in access to essential health care services, including abortion and gender-affirming care,” the Planned Parenthood Oregon affiliates said in a statement. “HB 2002 allows providers to make decisions in the best interest of their patients — regardless of age — and upholds the protection and privacy of the patient-provider relationship.” 

Read more at Oregon Capital Chronicle. 

MAINE HOUSE ADVANCES CRITICAL ABORTION ACCESS BILL: Yesterday, the Maine House passed LD 1619, legislation to expand access to abortion later in pregnancy. In addition to repealing criminal penalties for abortion, the measure would permit abortion after viability if deemed necessary by a physician, giving patients the freedom to access essential care throughout pregnancy. The bill, which is championed by Gov. Janet Mills, now heads to the state Senate for consideration. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE) celebrated the news.

“Tonight’s House vote to pass LD 1619 was a vote of trust in pregnant people and their doctors to make complex, deeply personal, private medical decisions without political interference,” said Nicole Clegg, interim CEO of PPNNE. “We are proud of the reproductive rights champions who listened to their constituents and to medical providers and patient advocates, recognized the harms caused by our current law, and acted in the best interests of all Mainers today… Tonight, elected leaders met this moment by acting to ensure pregnant Mainers and their families will not continue to suffer unnecessary emotional, physical and financial burdens under state law. We are encouraged that 20 state senators co-sponsored LD 1619, and we look forward to Maine reproductive rights champions in the state senate seeing that this bill becomes law.”

Read more at the Press Herald.