Abortion debate continues under new Trump administration
Abortion and reproductive rights were of the biggest issues of the 2024 election cycle.
Democrats looked to use the Dobbs decision to rally its base – while President–Elect Trump consistently stated his belief that the issue should go to individual states.
Now, with an incoming GOP trifecta in the Federal government, advocates and opponents of abortion are watching intently to see what happens on the issue.
“In terms of the next administration, we don’t necessarily know the order of operations in terms of what priorities will be or what attacks will look like,” said Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, “But if the past is any predictor of a future event, we are preparing in all of the different ways that we can think of.”
While Planned Parenthood braces, some who oppose abortion aren’t convinced the new conservative government is as committed to their side as they would hope.
“We were disappointed on the federal level, that the that the Republican National Committee and President Trump really backed away from an abortion ban. They really gutted the pro-life platform, the national pro-life platform.” Said Matt Sande, the Director of Legislation for Pro-Life Wisconsin, a group that opposes abortion without exception.
They support a national ban, though Sande believes the congress should work to enforce laws already in place.
“There is talk of enforcing the Comstock Act, which is an 1800s era law that essentially prohibits the interstate delivery or sale of abortion drugs and devices, not only like drugs and pills, but any type of device.”
In addition to this, Sande also hopes to see the “Mexico City Policy” reenacted. That policy blocks funding to non-government organizations providing abortion counseling or referrals. It’s been rescinded and reenacted several times by presidential orders since it was first enacted in the mid-1980s.
And those aren’t the only avenues Sande wants to see pursued.
“Right off the top would be the defunding of Planned Parenthood, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, America’s number one abortion provider.”
Defunding partially refers to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for services provided at clinics. The Hyde amendment, on the books since the 1970s, prohibits federal dollars for paying for abortions specifically. Defunding is something that Richardson is bracing for.
“The harm that that’s going to have for communities goes much deeper than access to abortion care. And when you think about the sort of the role that Planned Parenthoods play, we are oftentimes safety net providers. And what we’ve seen in the states with abortion restrictions is that those states are less healthy as a result.” Richardson said.
Whatever the next four years look like, both Sande and Richardson say, they’ll continue to advocate for their respective sides.
“We need to be hopeful,” Sande said, “And we need to be compassionate and charitable and sharing our pro-life message.”
“We’ve been around for 100 years. We’re not going anywhere. And we’re gearing up for this fight.” Richardson said.