NARAL Pro-Choice America Warns of Pence’s Anti-Choice Radicalism Ahead of Vice Presidential Debate - Reproductive Freedom for All

Formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America

Press Release

NARAL Pro-Choice America Warns of Pence’s Anti-Choice Radicalism Ahead of Vice Presidential Debate

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Contact: [email protected]

We must elect the Biden-Harris ticket and end the Trump-Pence administration’s attacks on reproductive freedom

Washington, DCAs Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence prepare to face off during tonight’s vice presidential debate, expect Pence to attack reproductive freedom. As the Republican Party often does, Pence will likely spew disinformation and attack abortion rights to distract from the Trump-Pence administration’s failed leadership and the illegitimate nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court. This debate comes just days after President Donald Trump again pushed lies and fear-mongering about abortion, a tactic he often turns to when he’s in hot water. 

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue released the following statement ahead of this evening’s debate:

“Though Americans are already casting ballots, the Trump-Pence administration is prioritizing ramming through a Supreme Court nomination. Instead, they should be providing much-needed relief to Americans. The stakes have never been higher: Our reproductive freedom, our rights, and our democracy are at stake. 

Senator Kamala Harris has proven her prowess and leadership in her role on the Senate Judiciary Committee and as a senator committed to justice for all people. We know she will do the same tonight on the debate stage, not letting Pence off the hook for his regressive and oppressive politics that have harmed so many people in this country. We need proven leaders like her and Vice President Joe Biden now more than ever. There’s no question that this ticket will fight tirelessly for reproductive freedom and work to undo the damage to our fundamental rights waged by Pence and Trump. That’s why we are committed to doing everything we can to make sure they win the White House this November.”

Vice President Mike Pence has made his disdain towards Roe v. Wade clear time and again, saying that the case should be “consigned to the ash heap of history.” The Trump-Pence administration is poised to do just that thanks to its nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, a judge with a record of hostility towards reproductive freedom who has even signed on to an ad calling Roe “barbaric.” Polls confirm that the Trump-Pence administration and Mitch McConnell’s rush to confirm Barrett is wildly unpopular. Despite the fact that the American people have already begun casting their ballots, the Republican Party remains laser-focused on ramming through Barrett’s confirmation and continuing their long-standing campaign to stack our courts and gut our rights. 

 

Pence has long prioritized his anti-choice fanaticism over the health and well-being of those he was elected to serve. He flouted life-saving public health guidance this summer when he embarked on a reckless multi-state tour of fake women’s health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. As NARAL Pro-Choice America and Global Strategy Group’s new language guide to accurate reporting on abortion explains, these anti-choice organizations, sometimes referred to as “crisis pregnancy centers,” lie to, shame, and mislead those seeking an abortion to block them from accessing care. 

 

NARAL’s guide also provides critical information about how to avoid amplifying right-wing disinformation and provide context around inflammatory terms such as “born alive ”and “late-term abortion” which are not rooted in science or reality.

 

Background on NARAL’s 2020 Political Program

NARAL Pro-Choice America proudly endorsed Vice President Biden in July and applauded his decision to run alongside Sen. Harris. She earned a 100% voting record in NARAL Pro-Choice America’s Congressional Record on Choice every year she has served in the U.S. Senate and has cosponsored critical legislation to protect and advance reproductive freedom. With 77% of Americans supporting the legal right to abortion, this is the perfect ticket to beat Trump and Pence. We look forward to partnering closely with the Biden-Harris administration to stem the tide of attacks on reproductive rights and expand abortion access across the country.

 

NARAL Pro-Choice America is ramping up its electoral program as Election Day looms. We are activating our 2.5 million members to elect champions for reproductive freedom up and down the ballot. Our largest-ever electoral program is reaching, persuading, and mobilizing key voters critical to victory in November. After four years of the Trump-Pence administration waging war on our fundamental rights, NARAL knows we must do all that we can to flip the Senate, expand our majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, and send Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris to the White House. 

 

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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters have fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom—including access to abortion, contraception, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its more than 2.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 7 in 10 Americans who believe every person should have the freedom to make the best decision for themselves about if, when, and how to raise a family.