Abortion rights have been a major topic of debate during the presidential campaigns with different parties having conflicting opinions on the matter. After almost 50 years of constitutional guarantee of abortion rights, Roe V Wade was overturned in 2022 and left the decision over whether it should be legalized to the individual states. Since then, 14 states have put a halt on all pregnancy-terminating services. Most Republicans believe in these restrictions whereas the Democrats have asked Congress to create a new law to reincorporate the rights which Roe protected.
During the presidential debate, Vice President and President Nominee Kamala Harris defended the right to abortion and mentioned the critical situations of women in need of medical help after 2022, while also criticizing the Republican Nominee Donald Trump saying that “[He] certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” and that if congress decided to reinstate Roe V Wade she would “proudly sign it into law.” As California’s Attorney General, she co-sponsored the Reproductive FACT Act with the goal of being transparent about services that are available to women and clarifying the credentials of the facilities. As a senator, she openly opposed anti-abortion bills while supporting those that would’ve protected and advanced reproductive rights. Earlier in 2024, she became the highest-ranking U.S.A official to visit an abortion clinic. Her running mate Tim Walz previously signed a bill in his home state of Minnesota that protected the right to terminate a pregnancy no matter who sits on future courts, becoming the first state to do so, however, oppositions labeled the policy as “extreme”, as it essentially leaves the state with no restrictions during any stage of pregnancy.
When Trump began his term in 2016, he vowed to appoint Supreme Court Justices to overturn Roe V Wade. He nominated Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch who were amongst the majority who voted to abandon Roe. While debating with Harris, he remarked that “[He] did something that nobody thought possible,” while speaking about reproductive freedoms. Throughout his presidency, his administration had a priority of defunding planned parenthood clinics and other organizations which offer reproductive services; however he has claimed that he would not sign a federal ban on these resources. “My view is that we have an abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land”, says Trump in a video that he posted to social media. The Republican Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance noted in 2022 that he is open to a national ban on abortion services however he has recently changed his stance saying that he agrees with Trump in that it should be a state issue. Trump’s wife has recently taken a contradicting stance on reproductive rights. Through social media while promoting her book she spoke on how “without a doubt there is no room for compromise when it comes to the essential right that all women possess from birth. Individual freedom.” According to The Guardian who received an early copy of her work, she talks about how she is passionate about a woman’s right to abortion.
For some, the topic of abortion is uncomfortable, however, since the overturning of Roe V Wade it has become a crucial concern amongst voters, who are waiting to see how these politicians are planning to move forward on this issue. According to BBC, Harris is currently leading the polls however it is still a tight race meaning that anything could happen on election day.
Written by Suriya Rampersad
