Abortion has been a divisive topic in almost every election in recent memory. Invariably it goes something like this: Republicans want to outlaw it or at least severely constrain it, whereas Democrats want to keep it legal and accessible.
Many, many Americans have made abortion their “single issue” that persuades them to vote for one party despite their feelings on that party’s other platforms. For example, if you are staunchly pro-choice, you will likely vote Democrat straight down the ticket because Democrats are more likely to keep abortion safe and legal for all.
Here’s a little bit of background about the Democratic party and its current stance on abortion.
Democrats and the Right to Choose
Broadly speaking, most elected Democrats support a woman’s right to choose. However, as Pew Research noted, you can find many different stances within the party itself:
- Support of abortion within the first trimester only
- Support of abortion into the third trimester
- Absolutely no abortion after a certain point, even for rape, incest, or bodily harm to mother
- Abortion should be legal, but not receive federal support
- Abortion within the first trimester can receive federal support
- Some do not support abortion at all
And so on and so forth. The six bullet points above don’t reflect all the differing views of the Democratic party; there are plenty more.
Should Abortion Be Federally Funded?
One of the hot-button issues within the party itself is the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions unless the pregnancy is the product of rape or incest, or the mother’s life is in danger. This means that if you receive federally funded healthcare (if you’re on Medicaid, for example, or if you serve in the military) then you cannot have an abortion covered by that healthcare.
The Hyde Amendment was passed in 1976. In recent years, Democrats have made a concentrated effort to repeal it. They have not yet been successful.
Biden on Abortion
Joe Biden, the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, has developed his views over time. In 1982, Biden tried to help pass a law that would allow individual states to determine whether they would permit abortion or not. The law did not pass; when it came up again in 1983, he voted against it. In 2019, Biden still supported the Hyde Amendment; he soon walked back that opinion.
Biden continues to support a woman’s right to choose.
Do Democrats Support Killing Babies?
No.
But here’s why some are asking that question.
Ted Cruz, President Trump, and other Republicans claim doctors will attempt to “abort” a baby while it is being delivered, “or even after that.” Trump painted a picture where a doctor would “execute the baby.”
These are both lies.
First of all, doctors are not killing babies after they are born.
Secondly, the dilation & extraction procedure both men are sort-of referencing is not, strictly speaking, an abortion. The truth is that the dilation & extraction procedure – called partial-birth abortion politically – was often used when the health of the mother was at stake, or if the fetus was diagnosed with diseases or abnormalities that would make its life painful or short. That is why many Democrats have fought to keep it legal; not because they particularly like it, or encourage it, but because it must be available as a last resort.
Will Democrats Keep Abortion Legal?
Democrats as individuals may hold varying opinions about abortion and what sort of constraints (financial or otherwise) should be placed on it. Over time, we may see the party shift in one direction or another regarding those potential constraints. However, as a whole, Democrats continue to support women’s right to choose.
