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emily s list
Iowa's Six-Week Abortion Ban Called 'Cruel Future' GOP Wants for Entire Nation
Denouncing "extremist Republicans," EMILY's List says the new state law exemplifies why voters "have to stop them at the ballot box this November."
Jul 29, 2024
As Iowa's six-week abortion ban took effect on Monday after a June ruling by the state Supreme Court, reproductive rights advocates pointed to the law as the latest proof of the importance of opposing anti-choice Republicans in the November elections.
"Today, people in Iowa woke up to the unfortunate reality that their reproductive rights have been ripped away," said NextGen America. "They're already fleeing the state for care. In November, abortion is on the ballot. Vote on it."
Also blasting "Iowa's near-total draconian abortion ban," EMILY's List warned: "This is the cruel future that extremist Republicans want for our country. We have to stop them at the ballot box this November."
Reproductive freedom has been a key issue at all levels of U.S. politics this election cycle. President Joe Biden made abortion rights a top focus of his 2024 campaign, which Vice President Kamala Harris has continued since he dropped out and she became the presumed Democratic nominee to face former Republican President Donald Trump this fall.
Although Trump has at times tried to distance himself from state legislators' recent attacks on reproductive rights, he has also bragged about appointing half of the U.S. Supreme Court justices who reversedRoe v. Wade—and both his selection of his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), and the latest Republican Party platform have stoked fresh fears about the GOP's plans for abortion at the national level.
Harris on Monday openly blamed the Republican presidential candidate for the new state ban, saying on social media: "This morning, more than 1.5 million women in Iowa woke up with fewer rights than they had last night because of another Trump abortion ban. In November, we will stop Trump's extreme abortion bans at the ballot box."
The vice president also shared a video message and her campaign on Monday launched a "Fight for Reproductive Freedom" week of action, which features dozens of planned events across battleground states.
More than 1 in 3 women of reproductive age in America now live in a state with a Trump abortion ban.
When I am President of the United States, I will sign a law restoring and protecting reproductive freedom in every state. pic.twitter.com/ka8f8zI145
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 29, 2024
Iowa's new law prohibits most abortion care after cardiac activity can be detected—supporters of such bans use the medically misleading term "fetal heartbeat"—which is usually around six weeks, before many people know they are pregnant. The ban has limited exceptions that critics warn are ineffective.
The state's Republican lawmakers initially passed a similar ban in 2018, though reproductive rights advocates won their legal battle to block it. However, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in 2022, Iowa legislators last year tried to revive the old ban before ultimately passing the one that took effect Monday.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the ACLU of Iowa challenged the new ban on behalf of a Planned Parenthood North Central States subsidiary, the Emma Goldman Clinic, and Dr. Sarah Traxler, but the Iowa Supreme Court upheld it 4-3.
"To say the last few weeks have been hard is an understatement," Kristina Remus, a Planned Parenthood patient services associate, toldThe 19th on Friday. "People are confused and seeking clarification. And a lot of patients are unaware that there is a law banning abortion at about six weeks before many people know that they're pregnant set to take effect so soon on Monday. We are having extremely difficult conversations in my department with patients."
Planned Parenthood Action said on social media Monday: "Iowa's six-week ban marks the 22nd state that has banned some or all abortions. We know how dangerous this ban will be for Iowans, but we will not stop fighting for your right to abortion care."
Iowa Abortion Access Fund posted a similar message, saying: "We are heartbroken by this ban. It will affect thousands of Iowans but, as all abortion bans do, it will disproportionately affect those in marginalized communities, including communities of color, those in the LGBTQ community, lower-income individuals, and individuals living in rural areas."
"While this ban is disheartening, please know we are still here for you. We have partnered with the Chicago Abortion Fund (CAF) to provide comprehensive, wraparound support for Iowans in need of abortion care," the group continued, sharing the Illinois helpline. "Despite this gross government overreach, we will continue to fundraise. We will continue to advocate for abortion access and reproductive freedom for all. And we will continue to be here for you."
Illinois has seen a flood of "healthcare refugees" as surrounding states have tightened abortion restrictions in the wake of Dobbs. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, who is on the short list of Harris' potential vice presidential candidate picks, declared Monday that "here in Illinois, we will welcome our Iowan neighbors for reproductive freedom and whatever care they need. Please know—as you work to maneuver around this dangerous and unjust law—we are here for you."
In neighboring Wisconsin, there is also an ongoing battle over abortion rights. The state Supreme Court has agreed to take up two related cases, and in the meantime, Planned Parenthood has resumed providing abortion care in its clinics there. Like Harris, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Monday also blamed Trump and his "radical agenda" for Iowa's new law, highlighting that the Republican "promised to overturn Roe v. Wade, and called abortion bans like Iowa's 'beautiful.'"
"We will continue fighting to protect reproductive freedom in Wisconsin, but the only way to stop Donald Trump and JD Vance, Project 2025, and their plan to ban abortion in all 50 states is to elect Kamala Harris," Evers argued. "Kamala Harris will sign a federal law to restore reproductive freedom and make sure every woman in America has access to the reproductive healthcare they need and deserve."
While passing federal pro-choice legislation would almost certainly require Democrats to control not only the White House but also both chambers of Congress, the Democratic National Committee also directed attention to the presidential contest, with DNC spokesperson Stephanie Justice saying Monday that "today is a dark day for Iowa, the Midwest, and the country, and if Trump wins election again, this will be a harbinger of what's to come for the entire nation."
"Trump's Project 2025 will ban abortion nationwide and punish women who seek reproductive care," Justice added. "However, this does not have to be our future. Women in Iowa and across the nation are fed up and will rise up and vote against Donald Trump and JD Vance's plan to rip away our reproductive rights."
Meanwhile, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) interim communications director Sam Paisley on Monday stressed the importance of electing supporters of reproductive freedom to state offices.
"Iowa Republicans have officially made their state one of the most extreme when it comes to restricting reproductive freedom, flying in the face of the majority of Iowans who support abortion access," Paisely said. "Since Roe v. Wade was overturned, GOP state legislatures have made these bans a top priority, and they show no sign of letting up."
"The time is now for Democrats to turn their attention to state legislatures where Republicans are leveraging power to pass an extreme agenda that rips up fundamental freedoms," she added. "The DLCC will continue to hold the GOP in the states accountable as they compromise the healthcare of their constituents."
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Biden Runs on Reproductive Rights as Movement Fractures Over Gaza
"Kamala and I will restore Roe v. Wade and make it once again the law of the land. Donald Trump will ban abortion nationwide. That is what is at stake this November," the Democratic president warns.
Feb 18, 2024
"Freedom. Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. There's nothing more important. Nothing more sacred. That's been the work of my first term."
That's how U.S. President Joe Biden began the video launch of his reelection campaign last year—and now, with the primary season underway, the Democrat continues to emphasize the importance of freedom and the related issue of reproductive healthcare.
The Republican front-runner, former President Donald Trump, and his MAGA movement have made clear that they are foes of abortion rights and other reproductive justice priorities, but Biden has work to do to win over some frustrated voters, including those outraged about the maternal health crisis created by the U.S.-backed Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
Biden is backed by national groups such as EMILY's List, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and Reproductive Freedom for All, but the devastation of Gaza has caused a "growing rift in the reproductive rights movement," HuffPost's Alanna Vagianos reported Friday.
Vagianos pointed to the January rally marking what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade—the landmark abortion rights ruling overturned in June 2022 by the right-wing U.S. Supreme Court to which Trump appointed three justices:
The president was interrupted over a dozen times as security struggled to wrangle protesters who were screaming "Genocide Joe!" and demanding a cease-fire. Hundreds of Biden supporters tried to drown out the protesters by clapping and chanting, "Four more years!"
"Israel kills two mothers every hour in Gaza! Cease-fire now! End the genocide!" one protester yelled at Biden, who was standing on stage in front of a massive "Restore Roe" banner and flanked by supporters holding "Defend choice" signs.
A video of the event shows Alexis McGill Johnson, the president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, clad in her trademark hot-pink pantsuit, standing up and chanting "Four more years!" as security dragged the shouting protester out.
" HuffPost spoke with over a dozen people who work for reproductive justice causes―including current Planned Parenthood employees, legal experts, nurse midwives, abortion fund workers, and clinic staffers from across the country―who say that Biden's unwavering support for Israel has fractured the movement," Vagianos added. "The rift has left those who support Palestinians to feel ostracized by the larger reproductive rights groups and questioning whether they can vote for Biden in November."
\u201cThere\u2019s a huge divide in our movement now that a lot of the union workers are talking about. We\u2019re feeling used; we\u2019re feeling abandoned\u201d We can and should demand better, for us in the US and for people in Palestine. Solidarity forever, for everyone\u270a\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8 https://t.co/CrcBNU9Rj5— (@)
Frustration with Biden's response to what other world leaders and legal scholars are calling Israel's genocidal war on Gaza—which has killed nearly 29,000 Palestinians—is far from limited to those campaigning for or working in reproductive healthcare.
"Right now, we feel completely neglected and just unseen by our government," U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian American in Congress, said in a Saturday video supporting the Listen to Michigan campaign, which is urging Democrats to vote uncommitted in the February 27 presidential primary to send Biden a message on Gaza.
Michigan has large numbers of Arab and Muslim Americans. It is also a swing state where residents narrowly supported Biden over Trump in 2020. Two years later, just after the Roe reversal, they voted to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution.
After The New York Timesreported Friday that "Trump has told advisers and allies that he likes the idea of a 16-week national abortion ban" with exceptions for rape, incest, or saving the pregnant person's life, Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined Biden allies in advocating for reelecting him and Vice President Kamala Harris "to protect reproductive rights."
In a Friday statement about the reporting, Biden said that " Roe v. Wade is no longer the law of the land. And that's because of one person: Donald Trump. In fact, Trump brags about being the one to overturn Roe."
"Kamala and I will restore Roe v. Wade and make it once again the law of the land. Donald Trump will ban abortion nationwide. That is what is at stake this November," he added. "Our democracy. Our fundamental freedoms."
The Times then reported Saturday that Trump allies and former officials "are planning ways to restrict abortion rights if he returns to power that would go far beyond proposals for a national ban or the laws enacted in conservative states across the country."
As the newspaper detailed:
In policy documents, private conversations, and interviews, the plans described by former Trump administration officials, allies, and supporters propose circumventing Congress and leveraging the regulatory powers of federal institutions, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Justice, and the National Institutes of Health.
The effect would be to create a second Trump administration that would attack abortion rights and abortion access from a variety of angles and could be stopped only by courts that the first Trump administration had already stacked with conservative judges.
Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez responded that "it's never been clearer what the American people can expect from Donald Trump: If given power, he will circumvent Congress and further rip away women's healthcare, including attempting to unilaterally institute a national abortion ban. These plans are as terrifying as they are unsurprising."
Leaders of national groups also weighed in with comments circulated by Biden's campaign. McGill Johnson called Trump "a disaster for democracy and a disaster for sexual and reproductive healthcare," while EMILY's List interim president Jessica Mackler declared that "there is a clear choice in November: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who have worked consistently to protect our rights, or Donald Trump and his Republican allies, who want to take our decisions and our rights away."
Reproductive Freedom for All president and CEO Mini Timmaraju said: "The most chilling part of the playbook of horrors Trump's advisers have cooked up is how confident they are that he can do untold damage in a second term—with or without Congress. If they have another opportunity, they'll act on it, and the consequences will be unimaginable."
As Common Dreamsreported earlier this month, Biden has centered his support for abortion rights on the campaign trail but also come under fire for some recent remarks. While fundraising in New York City—where he faced Gaza-related protests—he said: "I'm a practicing Catholic. I don't want abortion on demand but I thought Roe v. Wade was right."
Renee Bracey Sherman, an organizer and abortion storyteller, said that "if Biden insists on hinging his entire campaign on abortion because it's more popular than he is, it would behoove him to actually use the messaging that we use to talk about abortion, without stigma, rather than throwing all of us who had abortions on demand under the bus."
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Defying Calls to Appoint Barbara Lee, Newsom Chooses Laphonza Butler to Fill Feinstein's Seat
Butler previously served as the head of a major SEIU local. But she also represented Uber as it fought efforts to classify drivers as employees.
Oct 02, 2023
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced late Sunday that he will appoint Laphonza Butler, president of the Democratic Party-aligned reproductive rights group
EMILY's List, to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of long-serving Sen. Dianne Feinstein last week.
Newsom's selection rebuffs calls from progressives and some Democratic lawmakers—including the head of the Congressional Black Caucus—to nominate Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to fill the vacancy. Lee is one of three prominent Democrats running for Feinstein's seat in 2024.
Feinstein had planned to step down at the end of her term in January 2025.
Newsom pledged to fill any early vacancy with a Black woman, but he signaled last month that it would not be Lee, who is running against Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
"I don't want to get involved in the primary," Newsom told NBC, stressing that his selection would be an interim pick. "It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don't want to tip the balance of that."
In a statement late Sunday, Newsom said that "as we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for—reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence—have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington, D.C."
"An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President [Kamala] Harris," Newsom added, "Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she'll represent us proudly in the United States Senate."
Shortly following news of the governor's decision, journalists
noticed that EMILY's List removed the final line of Butler's bio that said she lives in Maryland with her partner and daughter. Newsom's office confirmed to California reporter Ashley Zavala that Butler moved to the Washington, D.C. area for her role at EMILY's List but owns a home in California, and will reregister to vote in the state before she is sworn in.
Prior to her stint at EMILY's List, which works to elect pro-choice Democrats, Butler served as president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015, the nation's largest home care and nursing home workers union.
But CalMattersnoted Sunday that "despite her previous career, organized labor is likely to split on Butler."
"Many felt betrayed when she represented Uber in 2019 as the company tried to broker a deal that would avoid classifying their drivers as employees," the outlet reported.
Butler also worked as director of public policy for Airbnb.
Politicoreported that "Newsom is making his appointment without putting limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat in 2024. That means Butler could decide to join the sprawling and competitive field of Democratic contenders seeking to succeed Feinstein, with special elections now layered on top of the March primary and November runoff."
In a letter to Newsom earlier Sunday, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) urged Newsom to appoint Lee to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat, arguing that her "unparalleled legislative record, longstanding leadership in the Democratic Party, and deep commitment to justice and equality cannot be equaled."
"Barbara Lee has diagnosed a sickness in this country: greed," Horsford wrote. "And, as a former mental health professional, she has a solution: eradicate poverty, exterminate corporate welfare, and end austerity for working families. She is the only person with the courage, vision, and record to eradicate poverty, face down the fossil fuel industry, defend our democracy, and tirelessly advance the progressive agenda."
Lee, for her part, wrote in a social media post that she looks forward to working with Butler to "deliver for the Golden State."
"I am singularly focused on winning my campaign for Senate," Lee wrote. "CA deserves an experienced senator who will deliver on progressive priorities. That's exactly what I'm running to do."
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