For Immediate Release: October 15, 2019
Contact: [email protected]
Following tonight’s fourth Democratic debate, in which moderators asked a question that finally brought attention to the growing threats to abortion rights in the courts and across the country on the debate stage, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue released the following statement:
“Finally! With reproductive freedom under attack like never before, and Kaiser Family Foundation reporting that abortion access is a top issue driving concern among voters, finally the moderators of a debate asked a question about this crucial issue. We applaud the CNN moderators and we applaud all the candidates who stood up to defend our basic freedoms. So many of the candidates have proactively put forward ideas and plans to address the crisis in reproductive freedom and the debate stage is where we get to understand these initiatives and see which ones we support. From a White House Office on Reproductive Freedom to looking at preclearance as a way to prevent state attacks to codifying Roe v. Wade through Congress, so many brought passion and ideas to this debate. As Donald Trump and the anti-choice movement are waging an all-out assault on reproductive rights, it’s crucial that voters know which candidates have our backs on these fundamental freedoms.”
NARAL and its members are already engaging with 2020 Democratic candidates on the campaign trail and through NARAL Presidential Town Halls to provide a platform for presidential contenders to engage with voters and outline their plans to protect reproductive freedom. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Kamala Harris, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Secretary Julián Castro, and Congressman Tim Ryan along with former candidates Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Governor Jay Inslee have all held event with NARAL as part of the effort to make sure the concerns of women and families are represented in the 2020 conversation. NARAL looks forward to working with even more Democratic presidential candidates as they outline their vision for and commitment to reproductive freedom throughout the rest of the cycle.
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NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all. For more than 50 years, NARAL has worked to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. Since 1969, NARAL has made history, grown to over 2.5 million members, and met the moments that have defined this fight with action, power and freedom. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”