Consider This from NPR - The Battle Over Abortion Rights In The 2024 Election

Episode Date: February 8, 2024

Abortion is a personal issue. But it's also political. And few things motivate voters and politicians like abortion rights. Over and over, U.S. voters have shown they're willing to choose lawmakers, presidents and ballot initiatives based on how they feel about abortion rights. We examine the role abortion could play in the 2024 elections.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at [e-mail] Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The first question I ask is, so what am I supposed to do now? When Allie Phillips was 19 weeks pregnant, doctors discovered that only two of the four chambers in her unborn daughter's heart had formed. That meant the fetus wouldn't survive. So Phillips could either stay pregnant and brace for miscarriage, or... I could terminate my pregnancy, but due to Tennessee's ban, I could not do it here. I would have to look out of state. Phillips spoke with NPR reporter Katie Riddle. This all unfolded last year.

At the time, abortion was almost completely illegal in Tennessee. The state has since added some narrow exceptions. But back then, Phillips had to fly to New York to have an abortion. When she got there, the fetal heartbeat had already stopped. Phillips was in danger of becoming septic. She did manage to get her abortion. I'm very thankful for that clinic because they treated me like a human being, unlike my state did. I felt like a very small person going through that situation. That experience started her path toward politics. Phillips signed on with several other women suing Tennessee with the help of the Center for Reproductive Rights in hopes of changing

the state's law. And she began documenting her story. I posted every moment on TikTok because I wanted people to see what somebody has to go through when they live in a state like Tennessee. I was pretty inspired by it. Watching it did a double take and realized she lives here. She lives in Clarksville. Charles Uffelman saw her TikToks. He also happens to be head of Montgomery County Democrats.

That's the county where Phillips lives. Uffelman reached out to her to see if she would get involved with a party. Her involvement became much more than that. She eventually decided to run for a seat in Tennessee's House District 75. Allie's got the vision and the drive. That's Jody O'Connor, who is 67 and also lives in Clarksville. Currently, Tennessee is one of nearly 20 states that has a Republican supermajority. The party has large majorities in both of Tennessee's legislative chambers and control of the governor's office.

The district Phillips is in is one that Democrats have identified as flippable. That's why she's concentrating on how suburban voters feel on issues like abortion, voters like Jody O'Connor. O'Connor voted for Trump, but she likes to call herself a republicrat. Over the years, she supported candidates from both parties. And this year, the race by 28-year-old Allie Phillips is pulling O'Connor to the left. I have conservative values, and I believe in Jesus Christ and all that. But that doesn't make me not want to have equal rights and rights for women. O'Connor is relieved the next generation is taking on the issue of abortion,

specifically this one member of a younger generation. You keep on going, girl, because that is what it's going to take, and hopefully she will win. Phillips' opponent, incumbent candidate Jeff Burkhart, declined NPR's request for an interview. He's been quiet on the issue of abortion. But Phillips is loud and clear. And she's turning her grief for her daughter she might have had into a passion to change the system from the inside. She had, by the way, already picked out a name for her child, Miley Rose. Phillips still works full-time.

She runs a daycare out of her house. Her husband is a forklift mechanic. They also have a six-year-old daughter. So working, campaigning, and parenting, it's a lot. But Phillips says it all comes down to doing this for her daughter's reproductive rights. It's my job as a mother to take care of my daughter and keep her safe. And Phillips says protecting the rights of everyone's daughters. Consider this. Abortion is a personal issue, but it's also political. And few things will motivate voters and politicians like abortion rights.

How large of a role will abortion play this election year? From NPR, I'm Sasha Pfeiffer. It's Thursday, from NPR. Over and over, U.S. voters have shown they're willing to choose ballot initiatives, lawmakers, and presidents based on how they feel about abortion rights. That will likely be the case again in 2024. NPR's Sarah McCammon covers reproductive rights. I talked with her about how abortion might affect the current election. Hi, Sarah. Hi there. Sarah, is it fair to assume that abortion will be a motivating issue for voters no matter which side of the debate they're on?

It's fair to assume, Sasha, that Democrats want it to be and will try to make it so. You know, they look at results over the past couple of years where we've seen abortion questions put before voters and voters signal repeatedly their support for abortion rights. We've also seen candidates do well in races, Democratic candidates do well in races where abortion was a big issue. was among the top motivating issues for many voters, especially younger voters and women, two groups that Democrats need to motivate in 2024, and they're prioritizing it. Now, some Republican strategists have expressed concern about what the abortion issue will mean for them going forward. They see those same results,

and they look like a real weakness for Republicans. But at the same time, you have activists within the GOP who want to push harder. They want more states to restrict abortion. They want more types of abortion restrictions. For example, there have been efforts to ban travel out of state for minors in states with abortion restrictions. And they'd like to see a national abortion ban, something they're a long way from achieving, but it is a goal for some activists. And it's an issue that continues to motivate the Republican base. Sarah, would you break down for us more what each party is saying to its base? And would you start with what the Democrats are saying? Well, President Biden has made very clear

that he and the Democrats as a whole plan to highlight their message around protecting abortion rights leading up to this election. Biden, along with First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and her husband, the First Gentleman Doug Emhoff, held a big event last month marking the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, which had legalized abortion for decades until, of course, the Dobbs decision overturned it. And at that event, President Biden squarely laid the blame for the decision and its impact on his likely rival in the general election. And let there be no mistake, the person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump. At the same time, Biden has been facing repeated calls from Democrats to do more on this issue.

You know, he said he believes the framework outlined in Roe, which allowed states to restrict abortion to some degree later in pregnancy, that that was right. And some progressives oppose those kinds of limitations. You know, Biden has always had a somewhat uneasy relationship with the abortion issue. And while he supports abortion rights, it hasn't been something that he's put front and center until more recently. The reality, though, is that without democratic control of Congress and with a conservative Supreme Court, as it is that without Democratic control of Congress and with a conservative Supreme Court, as it is, you know, there's not a lot that Biden can do about these state abortion restrictions that are having the most impact. But Democrats are reminding voters

who support abortion rights and are concerned about these changes that they need to vote up and down the ticket if they hope to push back against them. And then what about the Republican position here? So nearly all Republicans in major elected office support the overturning of Roe v. Wade. They think it was a good thing and something they had worked toward for a long time. But the party has struggled with its messaging. So earlier in the presidential primary, when there were still a lot of candidates in the race, you know, we heard them debate amongst themselves kind of how much to restrict abortion and whether it should be restricted at the federal level. I've been covering South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's campaign, and she does not tend to bring up abortion unless someone asks her about it. And she's tried to strike a moderate sounding tone. For example, here's what she said late

last year while campaigning in New Hampshire. I don't judge anyone for being pro-choice any more than I want you to judge me for being pro-life. But at the same time, Haley has also said that she would have signed a six-week abortion ban as governor of South Carolina had one come before her. And when she's asked about a national ban, she said she doesn't think that's a likely thing to happen in reality, but she sort of deflects the questions about her own view of that idea by focusing on the pragmatics. Now, former President Trump has had very mixed messages on abortion. He's been critical at times of some of his fellow Republicans suggesting that they may have gone too far with supporting abortion restrictions. But he's also bragged about being instrumental in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. It seems like for Trump, it doesn't really matter what he says.

You know, the Republican base is so firmly behind him. And they know that he was instrumental in that Supreme Court decision by appointing conservative justices. There are so many voters in the middle here, people who don't embrace abortion rights, but they're very uncomfortable with this interim status quo situation we're in now that you've done so much reporting on, especially when people have pregnancies that are in crisis, potentially life-threatening pregnancies, and they can't access life-saving care. Right. These high-profile cases, I think, have had a real impact. People are aware of them. And most Americans oppose restricting abortion in those kinds of cases where a woman's life or health is at stake. You know, polling is all over the place with abortion.

But in general, a majority of Americans support at least some restrictions, but most also support at least some access. And those are the kinds of cases where most people support access. So, you know, we've seen these lawsuits from several women in states like Texas. There's a big case with more than 20 plaintiffs from women who are suing their state over its abortion ban, saying it threatened their life and health. And I think the question as we get closer to November is whether voters will feel as motivated in 24 as they did last year or the year before. You know, does this issue fade or does it actually pick up steam? Are there specific races you're watching as you see how abortion issues play out in them? I'm definitely watching the next round of ballot initiatives

and sort of their down ballot impact. So abortion rights supporters have had so much success at the ballot box with these ballot questions that they want to bring them before more voters in more states. Those are already in the works in Maryland and New York, and there are similar efforts underway in a lot of other places, a few of them Arizona, Florida, Missouri. There's a dueling effort in Colorado from abortion rights supporters and opponents, but mostly these are about protecting abortion access or expanding access. You know, I'm curious how these will affect other races, you know, potentially the presidential race in a state like Arizona, but more so local state races. The Arizona Senate race

might be one. I'd also look at swing districts in places like Florida if the issue ends up on the ballot there. And even in New York, you know, New York is a blue state, but it has a lot of swing districts. So I'll be curious to see who may be motivated to turn out and vote because of that abortion question. And if enough states have these kinds of questions before voters and people are motivated by them, it could have a significant impact even on the makeup of Congress. That's NPR's Sarah McCammon. Thank you, Sarah. Thank you.

This episode was produced by Brianna Scott and Megan Lim. It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Catherine Laidlaw, and Megan Pratz. Katie Arriddle contributed reporting. Our executive producer is Sammy Yannigan. And if you haven't heard, we've got some news. You can now support the podcast by signing up for Consider This Plus. You'll get to hear every episode without messages from sponsors. And even more

importantly, your contribution will help make the work of NPR journalists possible. You can sign up for our show page and Apple podcasts or at plus.npr.org. That link can be found in our episode notes. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Sasha Pfeiffer.