President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to maintain access to abortion for millions of American women in areas where the practice remains legal.

Mr. Biden, in a speech at the White House, denounced the Supreme Court majority that eliminated a constitutional right to abortion and made a passionate appeal to Americans dissatisfied with the decision to vote in the midterm elections in November.

The actions outlined by the president are intended to prevent potential penalties that women seeking abortions may face due to the decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Still, his order cannot restore access to abortion in more than a dozen states where strict restrictions or total bans have been implemented.

Approximately a dozen additional states may soon adopt new limitations.

Mr. Biden's move formalized directives to the departments of justice and health and human services to oppose efforts to restrict women's access to federally-approved abortion medicine or to cross state boundaries to obtain clinical abortion services.

To protect women who seek or acquire abortion services, his executive order also urges agencies to educate medical providers and insurers on how and when they are required to share sensitive patient information with authorities.

In addition, he requests that the Federal Trade Commission take measures to protect the privacy of persons seeking information about reproductive care online and that a task force be established to coordinate federal efforts to protect access to abortion.

In addition, the president is directing his staff to recruit volunteer attorneys to assist women and healthcare providers in navigating new state limitations.

He acknowledged his agency's limits and stated that congressional action would be required to restore nationwide access to its pre-June 24 states.

Mr. Biden stated, "The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,"

Biden states that the ten-year-old rape victim's experience was "not some imagined horror."

During his talk, Mr. Biden spoke emotionally about a 10-year-old Ohio girl who was reportedly forced to fly out of state to terminate a pregnancy after being raped, emphasizing that certain states have enacted abortion restrictions with no exceptions for rape or incest instances.

"A 10-year- old should be forced to give birth to a rapist's child?" Mr. Biden, astonished, nearly yelled.

He stated that the abortion may have saved her life and invited the audience to consider themselves "that little girl."

"Does anyone believe that the majority view is that should not be able to be dealt with?"

He stated, "This isn't some imagined horror,"

"It is already occurring... I am unable to imagine something more extreme."

In response to criticism, Mr. Biden responds, "vote."

Mr. Biden's executive order comes as some party members criticize him for not acting more urgently to defend women's access to abortion.

Since the Supreme Court's decision, however, the president has emphasized that his authority to preserve abortion rights by executive action is limited in the absence of congressional action and that Democrats lack the necessary numbers in the current Congress.

"We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to codify Roe," he stated.

He implored outraged Americans to cast ballots in November in a passionate appeal.

Mr. Biden stated, "The fastest way to restore Roe is to pass a national law,"

"Your vote can make that a reality."

Mr. Biden indicated last week for the first time his support for modifying Senate rules to allow a resolution to restore countrywide access to abortion to pass with a simple majority, as opposed to the standard 60-vote threshold required to end a filibuster.

Described as a crucial but unimpressive initial step

Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, described Mr. Biden's order as "an important first step in restoring the rights taken from millions of Americans by the Supreme Court."

The director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health at Georgetown Law, Lawrence Gostin, called Mr. Biden's initiatives "underwhelming."

He stated, "There's nothing that I saw that would affect the lives of ordinary poor women living in red states,"

Mr. Gostin urged Mr. Biden to adopt a more robust approach to ensure access to medication abortions nationwide. He said that Medicaid should consider covering the cost of transportation for women traveling interstate to obtain an abortion.