Xavier Becerra, secretary of the Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services, called the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization “despicable” on Tuesday, pledging his full attention to expanding access to abortion services in the face of it.
According to Becerra, HHS is “keeping all options on the table” and “has been preparing for this for some time.” Becerra stopped short of saying the department would participate in mailing abortion pills to states where the procedure is outlawed, but told reporters to “stay tuned” on that front. U.S. law prohibits federal dollars from directly funding abortion.
Becerra has a long history of pro-abortion activism, dating back to his efforts to prosecute pro-life activists as California’s attorney general.
The comments at a formal press conference on Tuesday come after Becerra hinted at flouting the Hyde Amendment — the specific provision preventing federal spending on abortion — at the Aspen Ideas Summit on Monday. There, Becerra said HHS might participate in helping transport women who want abortions out of states with prohibition into those with more permissive laws.
Asked if that would be consistent with U.S. law, Becerra grinned and replied “talk to me later.”
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