Saying the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has triggered a “moment of crisis in health care,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra listed several actions Tuesday he’s taking in response while also acknowledging there’s still much uncertainty about what the federal government might be able to do.

“On Friday, June 24, five Americans decided to use the vast power bestowed upon them by our democracy and our constitution to unconscionably put at risk the life and health of millions of our fellow Americans,” Becerra said during a news conference in Washington. “They chose to unconscionably limit Americans’ established freedom and autonomy to control their own body, decisions usually made in consultation with their doctor, not a politician.”

Becerra announced that Department of Health and Human Services is taking steps to increase access to abortion drugs and working to ensure patient privacy is protected and patients seeking reproductive health care are not discriminated against.

The health secretary also said his department will examine its legal authority to ensure support for doctors’ clinical judgment when treating patients experiencing pregnancy loss or complications. He said he’s also directing agencies within HHS to ensure all providers, doctors, pharmacists and clinics are properly trained and have the resources “to handle family planning needs, including administering patient referrals for care, and helping patients navigate this new reality.”

Becerra also said he’s ordering the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to take every legal step to protect family planning care, including emergency contraceptives and IUDs.

He vowed that HHS “will leave no stone unturned” in trying to protect abortion rights.

“We will do everything within our legal limit of the law to reach patients and support providers,” he said.

When pressed on more concrete steps the department could take, Becerra acknowledged, “It's tough to answer some of these questions more precisely until we know exactly what the states are doing.” The potential action states might try to take could include banning the use of medication abortion, prosecuting women who seek emergency care if they experience complications from abortion drugs or prohibiting women from traveling out of state for abortions.

Becerra was especially focused Tuesday on abortion drugs, noting the Food and Drug Administration has deemed them safe and effective. He said HHS and the Justice Department will work to prevent states from banning the pills. 

“The Supreme Court's decision will result in worsened health outcomes and death for some patients,” he said. “Working to increase access to this drug is a national imperative and in the public interest.”

But Becerra stopped short of saying HHS believes the FDA approval guarantees the drugs can be prescribed in every state, suggesting it was a question being reviewed by the department.

“Those treatments that FDA has signed off on as safe and effective are available to be prescribed,” he said. “Under what conditions? Stay tuned.”

The health secretary said he was visiting a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Louis on Friday morning when the Supreme Court issued its ruling. 

“I saw in real time the impact of this unconscionable decision,” he said. “The clinical director had to almost immediately start turning away patients, as the state's ban went into effect.

“People in the room were visibly shaken. There were tears, and there was this unshakable sense of sadness.”

Becerra said he then drove across state lines to visit another clinic Fairview Heights, Illinois, where abortion is still legal.

“It was shocking that in the United States of America, a short drive can make such a dire and draconian difference in health care outcomes,” he said. “I saw restrictions that leave women and families on unequal footing and widen maternal health disparities. The impact was visible and real.

“This is a critical moment in our history,” he added. “How we respond will speak to how we view the rights, the dignity and the well-being of women everywhere. This is a moment of crisis in health care.”