“The National Partnership welcomes today’s executive orders on women’s reproductive health as a first step in a long journey to ensure health care access and reproductive autonomy to everyone regardless of their race, zip code, or immigration status.

“President Biden’s order to repeal the Global Gag Rule, which bars international non-profits that provide abortion counseling or referrals from receiving U.S. funding, is an encouraging sign of progress. The president also directed the Department of Health and Human Services to start working to reverse restrictions on the Title X program. These restrictions amount to a “domestic gag rule” because they bar recipients of Title X funds in the U.S. from performing or referring people for abortion. These are essential reversals of harmful policy, and the administration will need to implement these orders fully.

“During this tragic pandemic, the administration must quickly go further and lift harmful and unnecessary restrictions on medication abortion. The current rules force people, many of them at high risk for contracting COVID-19, to pick up medication abortion in person even though the evidence and science do not support this requirement.

“We know that our communities need much more when it comes to reproductive health and autonomy. We also know that women of color suffer the most harm from abortion restrictions. Barriers to abortion care are issues of racial and economic justice. Reproductive health must be a priority, not an afterthought. We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration to create inclusive and comprehensive reproductive health and abortion care access for all.”