WASHINGTON (AP) — Reproductive freedom has taken center stage under Biden state of the union speech but abortion rights advocates had mixed reactions, raising concerns about the president’s attempt to capitalize on what will be a central campaign issue while avoiding the use of the word “abortion”.
Abortion rights have proven to be a powerful issue that drives voters to vote and encouraging Democrats by the US Supreme Court terminated a constitutional right to the procedure nearly two years ago. The problem can be key in the presidential race and congress this year.
During his speech Thursday, Biden deviated from his prepared remarks, skipping the word “abortion” and instead using the phrases “reproductive freedom” or “freedom of choice.”
The word was used once in his prepared remarks when he presented Kate Coxthat of First Lady Jill Biden State guest and a woman from Texas who was forced to flee the state for an abortion after realizing that her fetus was in a fatal condition. In the text, Biden said, “Because Texas law prohibits abortion.” Instead, he said, “Because Texas law prohibits her ability to act.”
It’s common for elected officials, especially Biden, to go off script or make adjustments in the moment for a variety of reasons.
“By not saying the word ‘abortion,’ it means it’s taboo or something to be ashamed of,” said Kelly Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio. “It’s stigmatizing and harmful. The president should do better.
Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, which operates abortion clinics in Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Virginia, said there was “upheaval” at the organization as staff members texted each other about the reactions. you are to each other.
“Abortion is what we provide and what is denied to people,” she said. “People don’t call us for a reproductive freedom meeting. They do not require a visit for bodily autonomy or an elective procedure. They are calling for abortion care, and abortion is the professional medical term for the health care we provide. Avoiding the word simply shows the strength of the historical stigma surrounding abortion.”
The pushback over how he addressed the issue in his State of the Union speech is the latest example of Biden’s fraught history with the topic. Many in the abortion rights movement have long viewed him as an imperfect messenger.
Biden initially opposed the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, saying that went too far. He also against federal funding f or abortions and supported restrictions on abortion later in pregnancy.
Biden’s campaign strategy is to let the president be who he is, an 81-year-old Catholic whose views on the issue have evolved and who still doesn’t use the word abortion much. His aides are also keen to highlight his evolution on the issue and how he still wrestles with what can be an uncomfortable subject but believes strongly in freedom of choice.
“On the other hand, Donald Trump has repeatedly used vile and demeaning language when he talks about women, and he will introduce a national abortion ban,” said Lauren Heath, a spokeswoman for the Biden campaign. “The choice in this election is incredibly clear.”
Trump has credit taken for the appointment of three Supreme Court justices who made possible the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Biden aides believe they can reach a wider range of voters by framing the issue around reproductive freedom, as a result of the Supreme Court’s decision to overruled Roe v. Wade moved beyond abortion access and into areas such as IVF and birth control.
The strategy may appeal to some voters but alienate others, said Sophia Jordan Wallace, a political science professor at the University of Washington.
“The question is whether people genuinely believe this framing is because he’s thinking about abortion plus other issues, or whether he’s using this framing to avoid saying the word ‘abortion’ out of discomfort,” she said. She added that Biden could be clearer about how his views on abortion have changed, something many voters can relate to.
“It’s a story they can tell,” she said.
The survey found that Americans generally support abortion rights and voters in seven states either upheld the right or defeated attempts to weaken it after the Supreme Court decision. Associated Press-NORC Public Affairs Research Center survey held in June 2023 found that about two-thirds (64%) of US adults believe that abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances. Another survey conducted later that year also found that 60% of US adults think the outcome of the 2024 election will be very important to abortion policy.
Many advocates say they want to see Biden offer stronger support for abortion rights in particular, and said they feel uncomfortable with his approach to speaking on the topic.
“Abortion could be the issue that the election hinges on,” Nurbese Flint, president of the national abortion justice group All(asterisk) Above All Action Fund. “If President Biden wants to speak to the American electorate, regardless of their faith, he should use his gruff pulpit to be bold about abortion access.”
The State of the Union address was the latest showcase of Biden’s complicated relationship with the subject.
He told The New Yorker last week: “I’ve never been one for, you know, ‘This is my body, I can do whatever I want with it.’
In New York last month, Biden called himself a “practicing Catholic” before saying, “I don’t want abortion on demand, but I thought Roe v. Wade was right.” He used similar words on the 51st anniversary of that judgment.
And at a fundraiser in Maryland last year for his re-election campaign, he said: “I’m a practicing Catholic. I’m not big on abortion. But guess what? Roe v. Wade got it right.”
Advocates also criticize Biden’s use of the phrase “abortion on demand,” which they say was once a rallying cry for abortion rights that was co-opted by the anti-abortion movement.
“These comments around ‘abortion on demand’ are related to the stigma surrounding abortion,” said Dr. Jamila Peritt, president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health.
Still, she said, “We need to make it clear that we are much better off under this leadership than under those who want to ban abortion outright.”
Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to restore Roe v. Wade protections, and his administration has taken several steps to improve access to reproductive health. This includes securing FDA approval for abortion drug mifepristone and supporting the agency to allow pharmacies to become certified dispense the medicine.
Federal agencies under his administration have also improved access to abortion for veterans and military personnel, issued guidance reminding abortion providers of their federal protections when performing abortions during medical emergenciesand cases filed to protect the right to travel to another country for abortion treatment.
Biden was endorsed by major abortion rights organizations, including Planned Parenthood and Reproductive freedom for allwhose CEO, Mini Timmaraju, praised Biden for speaking “powerfully about the harms of abortion bans and attacks on IVF” in his State of the Union remarks.
Biden used part of his address to thank Vice President Kamala Harris, who has embarked on a cross-country reproductive freedom tour.
Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive rights at the State Innovation Exchange, called Harris “a champion of abortion rights” but said, “We also need the president to be vocal on this issue.”
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Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Lynley Sanders contributed to this report.
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