Analysts: Abortion, an important issue in the US presidential election

2024-03-27 20:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

US President Joe Biden has placed women's reproductive health and rights at the center of his campaign for the November 5 election. Democrat Biden is expected to face former Republican President Donald Trump in the presidential election, who has spoken about abortion, but, as Voice of America correspondent Laurel Bowman reports, he has not fully clarified his position on the matter. President Joe Biden has made abortion rights a central theme in his campaign.

The Democratic president signed a new executive order recently that expands the US government's studies of women's health issues and pledged funding to study issues such as reproductive health.

"Think of all the advances we've made in all areas of medicine, but women's health hasn't been the center of attention. It's taken a very long time for women to be included in health studies. If you help me in electing a Democrat-controlled Congress that supports women's reproductive rights, promise that we will reinstate Roe v. Wade," President Biden said.

Roe v. Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court decision that gave women the constitutional right to an abortion, was overturned in 2022, leaving the issue of abortion in the hands of the states. Republican-controlled legislatures have passed laws restricting abortion in about 20 states.

Mr. Biden's expected Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, appointed conservative members to the Supreme Court whose votes helped overturn the abortion law. Mr. Trump has said that states should have the right to decide on this issue.

But he has warned Republicans on the abortion issue, saying they must win the election. Polls have shown that most Americans do not support a total ban on abortion. Mr Trump says he supports some exemptions.

"Like former President Ronald Reagan, I also think that there should be exceptions in the laws for the prohibition of abortion, as for cases of rape, incest and in cases where the life of the mother is in danger. I think there should be exceptions," says former President Trump.

On a recent radio show, Mr. Trump spoke about restrictions on abortion and at what point in pregnancy it should be legal.

"Fifteen weeks seems to be the limit that people agree on, but I will make that announcement in due course," he said.

That same day, Mr. Trump responded to reporters covering the Florida primary on the issue of abortion.

"We will talk about this issue very soon," he said.

Analysts say abortion will be an important issue in the presidential election.

"Mr. Biden has an easier task. He simply supports a reinstatement of Roe v. Wade. While Mr. Trump should be careful about what he says. He has to satisfy all factions of the Christian community, which is very difficult to do because they favor varying degrees of abortion bans," says Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia.

The issue of abortion, analysts add, is particularly important for women, who make up more than half of the voting electorate./ VOA