WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden warned Friday that Republicans’ push for a nationwide ban on abortion won’t stop there, as he urged supporters to rally votes for Democrats in 2024.
“We will not allow very personal decisions in the hands of politicians,” he said. “Make no mistake, this election is once again about freedom on the ballot.”
A mile away from where Biden rallied abortion rights supporters to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling that struck down federal abortion protections, the Faith and Freedom Coalition held its annual conference.And Vice President Mike Pence urged his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination to support a 15-week federal abortion ban — at least.
A year after the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health System, both sides have weighed in on the issue. Biden issued an executive order Friday calling for increased access to contraception and picked up three high-profile endorsements at a rally with Vice President Kamala Harris, First Lady Jill Biden and Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff. Several Republican hopefuls are set to speak at an evangelical summit this weekend, stressing their anti-abortion credentials and urging them to stay the course amid concerns that like-minded activists may be pushing back on the political offensive.
Most Americans Abortion should be legalized nationwide. Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, many political pundits dismissed the issue as a galvanizer, but it remains one of the main concerns of voters who have consistently rejected efforts to restrict abortion. In Democratic and GOP-leaning states when the opportunity arises.
“Reproductive freedom is an issue for all of us. Men, women, everyone. Women can’t be less,” Emhoff said.
Leading voices on abortion rights are almost always going to endorse a Democratic president for re-election. But the leaders of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL-Pro Choice America and Emily’s List say getting behind Biden and Harris quickly and loudly is critical on an issue that energizes voters.
“I’m very proud of the bold steps this administration has taken to protect patients, protect providers, provide them with accurate information and let them know they’re not alone,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action. Finance.
Mini Thimmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said the longer bans are in place, the more likely people will know someone who has experienced something worse. “They have to make decisions about where to go to college based on the states that have the ban. They have to decide whether to practice medicine based on the abortion ban. It’s now seeping into everyday life, and it’s having unintended consequences.
The effects of restricting abortion access move quickly beyond the termination of unwanted pregnancies to abortion and pregnancy care in general. Women in states with tighter restrictions may not be able to access care for pregnancy-related problems. Doctors who perform abortions face criminal charges They are increasingly afraid of caring for patients who are not yet considered curable.
“It’s hard for Republicans to work overtime to make our own health care decisions and to decide our own future,” said Labonza Butler, president of Emily’s List.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 1973, 20 states that have legalized abortion have passed policies that prohibit or greatly restrict abortion. A year after Roe’s downfall, 25 million women live in states with abortion bans or strict restrictions. But 22 states and the District of Columbia have expanded access to abortion care.
Most of the states with strict abortion restrictions are states with high maternal mortality rates and high stillbirth and miscarriage rates. Black women are disproportionately affected—they are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Harris argued that this was no coincidence, maternal health and abortion care are linked. The same medical procedures used for abortion are used to treat miscarriage.
Friday said it’s not an issue of abortion rights, it’s an issue of freedom. “Freedom to make decisions about one’s own life, one’s own body. Freedom to be free from government interference when it comes to one’s personal decisions. Decisions about the heart and home.
Biden’s executive order aims to strengthen access to contraception, a growing concern for Democrats after some conservatives signaled a desire to regulate birth control beyond abortion. In 2017, nearly 65%, or 46.9 million, of the 72.2 million women and girls aged 15 to 49 in the United States used contraception. The order aims to increase and expand options, reduce out-of-pocket costs and raise awareness of options.
Biden regretted having to sign such an order. “The idea that I should do it — really, think about it,” he said.
Pence’s comments on Friday were a challenge to GOP front-runner Donald Trump, who has been reluctant to endorse a federal abortion ban. The former president is scheduled to address the evangelical congregation on Saturday night.
“We must not rest, we must not relent, until we restore the sanctity of life at the heart of American law in every state in this country,” Pence said.
Ralph Reed, founder and president of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, said, “As an organization, as a pro-life and pro-family movement, we’re certainly going to do everything we can to give a little bit to our candidates. A testosterone booster shot and explain to them that they shouldn’t be on the defensive. Those who fear it should, honestly, grow a spine.
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