WASHINGTON — Reproductive freedom took center stage during Biden’s State of the Union address, but abortion rights advocates had mixed reactions. They expressed concern that the president would try to capitalize on what will be a central campaign issue while avoiding the word “abortion.”
Abortion rights have proven to be a powerful issue driving voters to the polls and boosting Democrats since the U.S. Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to the procedure nearly two years ago. The issue could be crucial in this year’s presidential race and congressional contests.
During Thursday’s speech, Biden deviated from his prepared remarks, skipping the word “abortion” and instead using the terms “reproductive freedom” or “freedom to choose.”
The word was used once in his prepared remarks, when he introduced Kate Cox, first lady Jill Biden’s State of the Union guest and a Texas woman who was forced to flee the state for an abortion after discovering her fetus had a fatal condition. The text showed Biden saying, “Because Texas law banned abortion.” Instead, he said, “Because Texas law prohibited her ability to act.”
It is common for elected officials, especially Biden, to go off script or make adjustments in the moment for a variety of reasons.
“Not saying the word ‘abortion’ implies that it is taboo or something to be ashamed of,” said Kellie Copeland, executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio. “It is stigmatizing and harmful. The president should do better.”
Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, which operates abortion clinics in Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Virginia, said there was an “uproar” throughout the organization when employees texted their responses to each other.
“Abortion is what we offer and what people are denied,” she said. “People don’t call us for an appointment about reproductive freedom. They do not ask for a physical autonomy visit or elective procedure. They’re calling for abortion care, and abortion is a professional medical term for the health care we provide. Avoiding the word only shows the power of the historical stigma surrounding abortion.”
The criticism of his handling of the issue in his State of the Union address is the latest example of Biden’s fraught history with the subject. Many in the abortion rights movement have long seen him as an imperfect messenger.
Biden initially opposed the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, saying it went too far. He also opposed federal funding for abortions and supported restrictions on abortions later in pregnancy.
The Biden campaign’s strategy is to let the president be who he is: an 81-year-old Catholic man whose views on the issue have evolved and who still doesn’t use the word abortion much. His aides also want to highlight his evolution in this area and how he still struggles with what can be an uncomfortable subject, yet firmly believes in the freedom of choice.
“Donald Trump, on the other hand, has repeatedly used disgusting and derogatory language when speaking about women, and he will institute a national abortion ban,” said Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt. “The choice in this election is incredibly clear.”
Trump has taken credit for appointing three Supreme Court justices who made the overturn of Roe v. Wade possible.
Biden’s aides believe they can reach a broader group of voters by framing the issue around reproductive freedom, as the fallout from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has expanded beyond abortion access and have also expanded to areas such as IVF and contraception.
The strategy could appeal to some voters but alienate others, said Sophia Jordán Wallace, a political science professor at the University of Washington.
“The question is whether people honestly believe that this framing is because he is thinking about abortion and other issues, or whether he is using that framing to avoid saying the word ‘abortion’ because of discomfort,” she said. She added that Biden could be more explicit about how his perspective on abortion has changed, something many voters may relate to.
“That’s a story they can tell,” she said.
Polls have shown that Americans broadly support abortion rights, and voters in seven states have affirmed the right or rejected efforts to weaken it since the Supreme Court’s ruling. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in June 2023 found that about two-thirds (64%) of American adults believe abortion should be legal in at least some circumstances. Another survey conducted later that year also found that 60% of American adults think the outcome of the 2024 election will be very important for abortion policy.
Many advocates say they want Biden to offer more full support for abortion rights in particular, and have said they are uncomfortable with his approach to speaking on the topic.
“Abortion could very well be the issue on which the election hinges,” said Nourbese Flint, president of the national abortion rights group All(asterisk) Above All Action Fund. “If President Biden wants to speak to the American electorate, whatever their faith, he must use his pulpit to be bold on abortion access.”
The State of the Union address was the latest demonstration of Biden’s complicated relationship with the subject.
He told The New Yorker last week: “I’ve never been a fan of, you know, ‘It’s my body, I can do whatever I want with it.'”
Last month in New York, Biden called himself a “practicing Catholic” before saying, “I don’t want abortion on demand, but I thought Roe v. Wade was right.” He used similar words on the 51st anniversary of that court decision.
And at a fundraiser in Maryland last year for his re-election campaign, he said, “I am a practicing Catholic. I’m not really in favor of abortion. But guess what? Roe v. Wade gets it right.”
Advocates have also criticized Biden’s use of the phrase “abortion on demand,” which they say was once a rallying cry for abortion rights that was co-opted by the anti-abortion movement.
“These comments around ‘abortion on demand’ are related to the stigma surrounding abortion,” says Dr. Jamila Perritt, president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health.
Still, she said, “We need to make it clear that we are much better off under that leadership than under those who want to ban abortion outright.”
Biden has repeatedly called on Congress to restore Roe v. Wade protections, and his administration has taken several steps to improve access to reproductive health care. That includes defending the FDA’s approval of the abortion drug mifepristone and supporting the agency in allowing pharmacies to become certified to dispense the drug.
Federal agencies under his administration have also improved access to abortion for veterans and service members, issued guidelines reminding abortion providers of their federal protections when performing abortions during medical emergencies, and filed lawsuits to defend the right to go to another country for abortion care able to travel.
Biden is backed by major abortion rights organizations, including Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Freedom for All, whose CEO, Mini Timmaraju, praised Biden for “speaking powerfully about the harms of abortion bans and attacks on IVF” in his State of the Union.
Biden used part of his speech to thank Vice President Kamala Harris, who has embarked on a multi-state reproductive freedom journey.
Jennifer Driver, senior director of reproductive rights at State Innovation Exchange, called Harris a “champion for abortion rights” but said, “We also need the president to speak out on this issue.”
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Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Linley Sanders contributed to this report.
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