United States – Several leading abortion advocacy organizations came out to support Biden’s reelection campaign on Friday and claimed that the president’s actions on reproductive care, as well as the ongoing risk of another Trump term, outweigh a lackluster debate showing.
While the Democratic lawmakers, strategists, and activists were frantically worrying about how Biden is equipped to steer the party into November’s election, the abortion-rights leaders are sure he is most suited for the job, as reported by The Hills.
“We’re extremely confident that uniting behind him is the most strategic move,” said Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All.
Statements from Advocacy Leaders
“I can say with certainty that it must come down to Joe Biden, the only candidate for president who believes in a future will where people have the freedom to decide whether, when, if, and how they build families,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Biden faced off with then-President Trump on Thursday in a debate that was less than stellar, to say the least, on abortion. Although abortion has been one of the most discussed issues that Democrats would like to focus on, Biden provided a very unclear and not very coherent vision of the matter.
When asked if he was in support of any restrictions on abortion, Biden uncomfortably embraced the Roe v. Wade case. The process of establishing these standards under Roe has been a central platform of the Democratic Party this cycle.
“I support Roe v. Wade, which had three trimesters,” Biden said. “The first time is between a woman and a doctor. Second time is between a doctor and an extreme situation. A third time is between the doctor, I mean, between the women and the state.”
Criticism and Support from Advocates
Biden described the end of federal protections for abortion as a “terrible thing” but did not challenge the claims of Trump regarding so-called late-term abortion.
“We’re in a state where, in six weeks, you don’t even know whether you’re pregnant or not, but you cannot see a doctor, have you, and have him decide on what your circumstances are, whether you need help,” Biden said.
People who support abortion rights explained to Biden that he had a poor debate but pointed out that his administration’s record in the nearly two years since Roe’s cancellation serves as a reminder of how he will fight further restrictions on abortion.
“Donald Trump is an existential threat to women and to this entire country,” Fatima Goss Graves, the president of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund. “A weak debate performance doesn’t put women’s lives in danger, but a second Trump presidency? That does.”
The article highlighted efforts by the Biden campaign, such as the use of surrogates like abortion storytellers like Amanda Zurawski and Kate Cox.
“Their voices, plus actual, you know, content showing Donald Trump bragging about Roe, are the most effective ways for us to fight back, and I think they’re doing a great job of that,” Timmaraju said.
Unmet Expectations and Future Actions
But in a separate interview, Nourbese Flint, the president of All* Above All and the All* Above All Action Fund, which deal with reproductive justice for women of color, expressed her expectations from Biden that were not met.
“It was the opportunity that the president didn’t seize when being able to define the difference between him and Trump and what this moment means, and what this election means and what’s at stake,” Flint said.
Flint said the decision to restore access to Roe would bring them back to the year 1973, which is not a forward movement, as reported by The Hills.
“[Biden] missed the mark last night, but there’s a lot of time between now and the election,” Flint said. “I think it’s just even more important to hear from the campaign, to hear from the president himself, the differences between him and Trump [on] abortion access, and particularly how the solutions that he is offering rise to the moment.”