Why abortion rights matter more in this US election – DW – 11/02/2024

Is termination a crime of pregnancy? Or is access to safe abortions a fundamental right that every human being should enjoy? Few issues in the United States are as emotionally charged as abortion. Along with the economy and the rising cost of living, immigration and health care, abortion rights are an issue that draws many American voters to the polls.

The upcoming US election on November 5 is the first presidential election since the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling in 2022. Until then, the 1972 decision guaranteed every woman in the US the right to decide whether to continue or end a pregnancy. But in June 2022, a conservative nine-member Supreme Court majority voted to repeal that law.

Since then, every American state has created its own abortion laws, some of which are very restrictive. In some Republican-led states, such as Kentucky or Louisiana, abortions are completely illegal, even in cases of rape. In other states, abortions are only allowed until the beginning of pregnancy, when many people do not yet realize they are pregnant.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in 2024, appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021 — all of whom voted to overturn the nation’s abortion rights.

Trump expressed pride in the decision, particularly during a televised debate against his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, in early September. “We did a great service in doing that,” he said, adding that “it took courage to do it, and the Supreme Court had great courage in doing it.”

Harris has made abortion rights a central part of her campaign. In speeches, she linked Trump to abortion restrictions passed in more than 20 states. She said as president she would work to provide access to abortion for women in the US, regardless of the state in which they live.

“I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and the hand-picked Supreme Court justices took away from the women of America,” Harris said during a campaign speech in Washington, DC, on Tuesday. During their debate in September, Harris said Trump would enact a national abortion ban if elected, which he denied.

“Harris is pretty clearly pro-choice, and she’s intentionally framing abortion as a freedom issue,” said Laura Merrifield Wilson, an associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis. People who support abortion rights in the US refer to themselves as pro-choice or pro-choice. “The issue is important to Democratic voters, but especially to female and younger voters.”

Trump’s win could make abortions even more difficult

A survey conducted between late August and early September by the Pew Research Center found that Democrats rank abortion as the third most important issue that influences how they vote, with only health care and Supreme Court appointments ranking even higher. However, both issues are also related to abortion rights.

This issue is also close to the heart of gynecologist Catherine Romanos. In Ohio, where she works at a clinic in the city of Dayton, abortions are legal until a fetus can survive outside the womb, so around the 23rd or 24th week of pregnancy.

Romanos also treats women who cannot get abortions in their home states.

“We see patients from Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas,” she told DW. “An abortion is a solitary decision as it is. And then some people come alone as a choice because they’re afraid to tell the people in their lives what they’re doing. Crossing state lines to get healthcare is incredibly stigmatizing. , because (patients) feel like they’re doing something wrong.”

Romanos said he worries that if Trump wins the presidential election, Republicans could introduce additional restrictions that would make it even more difficult for women to get abortions.

“I think it’s not good news for anyone with a uterus or anyone who enjoys bodily autonomy,” she said of a potential second Trump presidency.

Republican voters care most about the economy, about immigration

The Pew poll also found that the economy, immigration and fighting violent crime were the top three issues for Republican voters. Abortion is the third most important issue.

“Abortion is an influential factor in mobilization, especially for Democrats,” said Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for Women and American Politics at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “In 2016 there was a lot of mobilization on this issue for Republicans. They said, ‘Don’t be upset about the rest, he (Trump) is going to put justices on the Supreme Court!’ And that’s exactly what he did.”

Republican voters are happy that US states can make their own abortion laws, which is why the issue is not at the top of the voting agenda for many of them, Dittmar told DW.

Democrats are hoping for more electoral success

It’s no surprise that Harris and Democrats are always talking about abortion rights at campaign events, said Brandon Conradis, a former DW journalist who is now an editor at Washington’s. Hill news media. “Democrats think this is an issue they can score points with,” Conradis told DW. “Young people, blacks, women and suburban voters, core Democratic demographics — all approve of bringing back easy access to abortion nationwide.”

Democrats have had previous electoral success campaigning for abortion rights. Although the party that controls the White House typically loses seats in Congress during midterm elections, Democrats fared well in the November 2022 midterm vote, just months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade . Political observers said at the time that the court’s decision served as a wake-up call that brought progressive voters to the polls.

Although the Republicans won the House of Representatives, the expected overwhelming victory of the “red wave” Republicans did not materialize. Contrary to historical trends, Democrats managed to maintain their majority in the Senate and even gain an additional seat. Whether advocating for strong abortion rights will pay off for Democrats in this election will only become clear after November 5th.

This article was originally written in German.