First Lady Keeps Reproductive Rights at Forefront Ahead of Debate

WASHINGTON — First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Lancaster and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday to highlight what is at stake for reproductive freedom in the 2024 election.

Biden’s mid- and late-afternoon appearances come a day ahead of the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the landmark case in which the court’s conservative majority held that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.

They also come just four days before President Joe Biden’s televised debate with former President Donald Trump, who made overturning Roe v. Wade, which recognized a women’s right to choose, a centerpiece of his first administration.

Running again this year, Trump has once again placed reproductive health at the forefront of his campaign, promising supporters he will sign a national abortion ban if elected to a second term.

During a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Democratic officials said Trump’s past — and possible future — is why reproductive rights will be at the heart of the party’s agenda, and front and center in its messaging, through the November election.

“A vote for Trump is a vote to silence our nation’s daughters, mothers and women everywhere,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison during the call. 

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., vice chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, was similarly blunt.

“The Democratic administration is advocating for women to have control over their own bodies whereas the Republicans are looking to control women’s health,” she said.

Since Dobbs, a number of Republican-controlled states have tightened their abortion restrictions, with 14 states banning the medical procedure at every stage of pregnancy.

Pushing back, nine Democratically controlled states have established laws or seen their governors sign executive orders protecting access to reproductive health.

And Democrats firmly believe that their strong support of reproductive rights will be the key to victory in 2024.

As the first lady is sure to remind voters in the all-important swing state of Pennsylvania on Sunday, it was Trump who appointed the justices who eventually made the overturning of Roe v. Wade possible.

Since then, he’s repeatedly stated that abortion rights are an issue that should be decided in the states and not by the federal government — a philosophy that has led to large swaths of women losing autonomy over their bodily choices.

Though Trump backpedaled early in the campaign, suggesting the six-week abortion bans put in place in many red states might be too restrictive, his more recent hints about a future nationwide abortion ban have heightened the concerns of abortion rights advocates.

“Reproductive freedom is a defining issue in this election and a key component for voters,” said Smith, who worked at Planned Parenthood from 2003 to 2006. 

Beyond the advocacy for women voters, the Democratic Party is grabbing the attention of male voters as they begin to side with women on this issue.

“Men understand what this means for women, especially as more restrictions come into play,” Harrison said. 

Recognizing that reproductive health care should be a personal and fundamental issue rather than a political one, the Democratic Party has made it clear that it wants to stand up for women’s rights in 2024. 

“We want to paint a contrast between Democrats and MAGA Republicans in this election so American voters know,” Harrison said. 

Since Dobbs, voters in seven states have voted in favor of ballot measures protecting abortion rights.

“In our recent polling, 60% of voters support reproductive freedom,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, during the conference call. 

“Our message is, only Democrats are standing up for women,” she added.

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