Article by: Diya Chadha

Abortion and reproductive healthcare access at large have definitely been key areas of contention and policy focus under the Trump administration. Notably, the reform of Title X under the domestic gag rule and the passing of “heartbeat bills” in nearly 15 states have imposed serious limitations on women’s access to healthcare in the country. And, as much as we hail Supreme Court decisions to function as laws of the land, working to remedy some of the outdatedness of the Constitution, it is simply unreasonable to throw complete faith into the institution given how unorthodox politics have become. As can be seen with those aforementioned policy changes, it is clear that the legislative climate has become increasingly restrictive and less progressive, arguably working in the opposite direction of how it traditionally changes over time. Naturally, the interested portion of the public has been looking towards the 2020 candidates to see how they aim to combat the seemingly growing conservative pressure to reverse the decision of Roe v. Wade, which protected a woman’s right to an abortion (during the first trimester). With a now conservative majority on SCOTUS, many believe that it is only time before the issue becomes a political question again, as it already has in many states. To preempt this, and to ideally provide sufficient pushback to ensure that the potential reversal does not become a reality, Planned Parenthood has announced that it is allocating $45 million worth of campaign funding to advocate for candidates who support abortion rights at the local, state, and national level with focuses on Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. This is not without opposition, however. Prominent rival Pro-Life organization, the Susan B. Anthony group, has pledged $41 million to promote the very opposite cause. There is no doubt that the fight to actively preserve Roe v. Wade will be a persisting and recurring effort, but it is one worth fighting for.

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