President Joe Biden’s recent pledge to pass and sign a national abortion rights law next year if Democrats hold Congress may look like (and to some extent undoubtedly is) a desperate attempt to turn the tide before the Nov. 8 midterms. Still, for all its lousy timing and ham-handed presentation, it’s a legitimate and necessary move. With most Republicans suddenly being coy about their plans to further restrict reproductive rights going forward, Biden’s announcement aptly lays out exactly what’s at stake in the election.
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority suggested in this year’s Roe v. Wade ruling that it was finally settling the contentious issue of abortion rights by turning it back to the states. Yet the effect on the already raging culture wars was more like opening a new front. A dozen states, including Missouri, immediately imposed near-total abortion bans, with others poised to follow. But the victorious anti-choice movement has made clear it’s not stopping there.
Emboldened by the decision, legislators in red states around the country are exploring ways to further erode reproductive rights, such as outlawing certain forms of birth control and even restricting women’s freedom of movement to prevent them from obtaining abortions outside their own states. Even more ominously, some congressional Republicans are suggesting a nationwide ban on the procedure. So much for turning it back to the states.
