Introduction
Abortion continues to be a controversial topic within the United States. Despite the supreme court ruling of Roe vs. Wade, which safeguarded abortion nationally in 1973, women are continuing to fight for legal abortions. Republican legislators have introduced laws that would limit abortions or try to ban them altogether.
At the same time, Democratic legislators are cementing abortion rights and making abortions more accessible. Donald Trump heavily advocated overturning Roe vs. Wade, while our current president Joe Biden wants to pass a federal law that protects a women’s right to an abortion. While several US states have laws that regulate and limit the use of abortion, Biden is advocating for a bill that will change the future of abortions within the US could change dramatically. The future of abortions in the United States is still obscure as the Democratic and Republican parties have strongholds in some of the critical decision-making platforms that will advance their ideas.
Banning Abortions
In 2019, several state legislatures across the United States banned abortion or restricted access to it at various stages of pregnancy. 11 states in 2019 passed bills that criminalized abortion where some had stringent punishment for the medical professionals who conducted the procedures and the women seeking the service.
Abortion has been highly politicized in the United States as both Republican and Democratic legislators vote along party lines. In 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, 11 governors excluded abortion care from a list of essential services that were to operate during the lockdown (Jones et al., 65). Republican governors of states such as Texas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Arkansas interrupted access to abortion during this COVID-19 pandemic (Jones et al., 66).
Other state legislatures that are controlled by Republican legislators and governors, such as Montana, are debating and passing bills that will limit access to abortions. In Montana, the legislators voted alongside party lines in which Republicans voted for the bills while Democrats were against banning abortions (Samuels). The issue of abortion has been highly politicized over the past few years in the United States.
Republicans have always voiced their concerns against abortion for several years as they claim they are pro-life. A significant percentage of people who support the ban on abortions believe that life begins at conception. Pro-life activists claim that procuring abortion is committing murder, and they are championing for states and the supreme court to ban the procedure. Former United States President Donald Trump is one of the key proponents who champion the ban on abortions.
done in as little as 1 hour
In January 2020, Trump attended the annual anti-abortion rally in Washington, known as the March for Life. Donald Trump sought the support of Catholics in the 2016 and 2020 elections by promising to overturn the 1973 supreme court ruling that legalized abortions (Rolfes-Haase and Swers, 3). He appointed Amy Coney, a conservative and anti-abortionist, to the supreme court, which gave the Republicans an outright majority. These are some of the examples of how Republicans have been trying to stifle abortion laws in the future.
Support for Abortions
Millions of Americans have voiced their concern against the wave of abortion bills in 2019 across several states in the country. In 2020, when 11 states sought to restrict access to abortion, several stakeholders went to court seeking to stop the executive orders from going into effect (Jones et al., 67). A significant percentage of Democrats have been supporting the legalization of abortion. Some legislators have openly voiced their concerns about seeking a federal law that will protect the right of women to access abortion.
States that Democrats control have been seeking to legalize abortion and make it easier for women to access the service. When the Montana state legislature was debating four bills on abortion in January 2021, Democrats voted for the right of women to access the procedure (Samuels). President Joe Biden campaigned on the platform of federally legalizing abortion across the United States, which gained the support of many Democrats (Rolfes-Haase and Swers, 9). Biden claims that women should not be denied access to abortion as it is their right, and this should be protected. The Democrat’s support has been immense for pro-abortionists in the country.
Democrats seek to create a future where women can have access to abortion across all states in the country. In January 2020, Joe Biden signed an executive order that allowed US aid for abortion providers and non-governmental organizations that support the procedure. The executive order reversed the ban on federal funds allocated to international organizations that perform or inform abortions.
according to your instructions
In an October 2020 campaign, Joe Biden promised to make Roe v. Wade “the law of the land” in support of abortions across all the states. However, this might be a challenge primarily as the Supreme Court is controlled by conservative republican appointed judges who might rule against the law (Rolfes-Haase and Swers, 15). Democrats have sought ways to ensure that women get access to abortions in all states without fear of legal challenges.
Conclusion
Republicans and Democrats have drawn battle lines on the contentious topic of abortions as the former seeks to ban the procedure while the latter wants it to be legal across all states in the country. The report has discussed the different views points of pro-life and pro-abortionists in which each side is trying to advance their ideas through legislation and executive orders.
The two presidents, Joe Biden and Donald Trump have openly voiced their opinions on abortion through legislation and executive orders. The opinions of Trump and Biden have led to a divided country, with each section championing what they believe is right by either supporting or rejecting the federal legalization of abortion.
Works Cited
Jones, Rachel K., Laura Lindberg, and Elizabeth Witwer. “COVID‐19 abortion bans and their implications for public health.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Vol. 52.2, 2020, pp. 65-68.
Rolfes-Haase, Kelly L., and Michele L. Swers. “Understanding the Gender and Partisan Dynamics of Abortion Voting in the House of Representatives.” Politics & Gender 2021, pp. 1-35. Web.
Samuels, Iris. “Republican-Controlled States Advance Bills to Limit Abortion“. ABC News, 2021. Web.