COLUMBIA, S.C. — President Joe Biden signed an executive order Thursday aimed at protecting access to reproductive health care services as states like South Carolina try to restrict it following the Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe V. Wade.
South Carolina's current abortion law bans abortions after a heartbeat is detected, or at about six weeks. However, lawmakers are considering completely banning the procedure.
The House ad hoc committee tasked with crafting abortion legislation heard hours of public testimony Thursday. Many testimonies focused on a full ban on abortions without exceptions for rape or incest.
Biden does not have the power to overrule South Carolina or any other state's law. The order instead encourages various agencies to come up with new policies that might be enacted in favor of abortion rights.
University of South Carolina Political Science Professor Kirk Randazzo explained the executive order is expected to have a limited impact on South Carolina.
"It is very likely that this executive order will come into conflict with that new law and we’ll have another round of litigation in the courts to try and figure out if the federal government has authority over this issue or if states do," said Randazzo.
Chairman of the House abortion ad-hoc committee and supporter of a full abortion ban State Rep. John McCravy (R-Greenwood) called Biden's order unconstitutional.
"It's been left to us as the state of South Carolina to determine our own laws with regard to this. And we're determined to do that," said McCravy.
McCravy said his committee will meet again in about two weeks. Once the proposed abortion bill makes it out of committee, it will head to the House floor for debate.
The Senate is planning to hear public testimony on Senator Richard Cash's bill in mid-August. That bill would completely ban abortion without exceptions and criminalize anyone who attempts to provide abortions; though, Cash told News19 that the Senate is likely to take up the House's bill.
Director of Public Affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic Vicki Ringer welcomed the order but said the future of abortion access remains uncertain.
"Hearing that there will be some protections enforced by the federal government is promising, how successful those that executive order will be, is another question," said Ringer.