Frustration at Biden and other Democrats grows among abortion-rights supporters
The rage among pro-abortion-rights protesters in front of the Supreme Court over the weekend was palpable. Plenty of that anger was aimed at the high court, but there was also quite a bit reserved for Democrats. Since the May leak of Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, Democrats' main message to their voters has been that abortion is on the ballot in November. But many who support abortion rights have been voting, and they're frustrated that electing Democrats hasn't produced more results.
Legislative Stalemate and the Filibuster
In the fall, House Democrats did pass a bill that would have made Roe's protections federal law. But it failed in the Senate in May, where it would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Some abortion rights supporters want the Senate to blow up the filibuster, but Democrats haven't unified behind that idea, and President Joe Biden hasn't pushed for it. He has also resisted calls to expand the court.
| Legislative Action | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Bill to Codify Roe (House) | Passed in the Fall |
| Bill to Codify Roe (Senate) | Failed in May (needs 60 votes) |
| Medication Abortion | Administration will support |
| Data and Travel Protection | Legislation being explored by House Democrats |
Disillusionment with Party Leadership
"I'm not hopeful at this point that this is something that will be federally protected. I have as little faith in Democrats at this point as I did in Republicans," Carolyn Yunker said Saturday. "Democrats have used this for 50 years to fundraise. They had opportunities to codify Roe," she said. "They chose not to because being the pro-choice candidate in an election helps you raise money. And frankly, I'm pretty disgusted with a lot of our representatives right now."
Biden is the leader of the party that supports abortion rights, but since the ruling, his visibility as part of the response has been limited. Immediately after the ruling, he gave a statement, but the White House also canceled the daily press briefing, and he left for a major summit in Europe. His fellow Democrats are not satisfied. Over the weekend, 34 senators urged Biden in a letter to lead a national response.
Current Administration and House Efforts
A White House official emphasized that the administration will support medication abortion and cited dozens of discussions with abortion-rights stakeholders. The White House also says policy action is coming this week. Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday afternoon that House Democrats are exploring legislation to protect data on period-tracking apps and protect the right to travel between states. She also said the House may again vote on legislation to codify Roe.
Reproductive rights as ‘extra credit’
Long-term change, however, will be the result of more voting. That means winning over new voters like 19-year-old Pryia Thompson. As a new voter who supports abortion rights, she's feeling ambivalent about her vote. "Honestly, I'm just getting started, and all of this is happening, so it's hard to make decisions and know who to vote for, who's really for us," she said.
For years now, the overwhelming majority of Democratic candidates have been running as supporters of abortion rights. With Roe overturned, Democratic candidates like Sarah Godlewski will be working to have a stronger message. "This is one of the reasons why I stepped up to run for the U.S. Senate, was that I was getting sick of reproductive freedom being treated like some sort of extra credit project," she said.
There's also an acknowledgement that some supporters grew complacent during the half century that Roe was in effect. "There is a tendency for people who've had a right to sort of assume that that's the way it is and it won't be challenged," said Aimee Allison, founder of She The People. Right now, she's focused on electing Senate candidates who could help eliminate the filibuster and ease the way for abortion protections to pass. "If we can elect these women of color, we'll have the votes in order to pass the legislation that went through the House and a sitting at the Senate to restore abortion rights and make reproductive justice a reality," she added.