Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley wants to skirt federal bans on taxpayer funding for abortions with a bill that would force Americans to fund travel and other expenses for women to end their unborn babies’ lives in elective abortions.
The Massachusetts Democrat introduced the Abortion Justice Act on Thursday in connection with the first anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to The Hill.
“Since that day, coordinated attacks on our reproductive health care have continued and it’s been escalated with devastating results. Our bill is practical. It’s technical. It’s also forward facing and aspirational, unapologetically,” said Pressley, the chairwoman of the Pro-Choice Caucus Abortion Rights and Access Task Force.
If passed, her bill would force taxpayers to fund travel costs, lost wages and related expenses for women to travel for elective abortions. Money also would be used to train more abortionists and abortion doulas, fund pro-abortion research and promote elective abortions, according to the report.
Pressley claimed there is a dire need to fund abortions because of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson. Since the June 24, 2022 ruling, 15 states have begun enforcing laws that protect unborn babies from abortion and others are fighting in court to do the same.
“… this is a matter of life and death when you are talking about the prospect of a nation of forced birth,” Pressley told reporters Thursday, pointing to problems with maternal health care access. Later, she continued, “The Abortion Justice Act is ultimately about making sure that everyone is free to make decisions about their lives, their bodies, their futures with dignity, with the decision to pursue abortion care without fear without shame.”
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But expanding elective abortions does nothing to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for mothers. No women have died as a result of pro-life laws, and research suggests tens of thousands of unborn babies have been saved.
Meanwhile, research indicates almost all unborn babies (96 percent) are aborted for elective reasons, while less than 5 percent are because of rape, incest, fetal anomalies or threats to the mother’s life.
Additionally, a new peer-reviewed study found that two-thirds of women seeking abortions do not actually want them; they want better support instead. Researchers also found that one in four women said their abortions were “unwanted or coerced.” Other research has found that nearly all women who wanted abortions but could not get them later were glad they had their babies.
The problem is not a lack of abortions, as Pressley claimed.
She went on to assert that most Americans support abortion on demand, and the Dobbs decision “overturned the will of the people.” But that is not true either. Americans want better support for pregnant moms and babies and fewer abortions.
A new poll from the Tarrance Group found 76 percent of Americans support pregnancy resource centers that offer support to families during their pregnancy and after a baby is born, and 52 percent oppose taxpayer funding for elective abortions. Another 59 percent support federal legislation to protect unborn babies from elective abortions after 15 weeks, something that would not have been allowed under Roe v. Wade.
Pressley’s bill is too radical for most Americans, and it is unlikely to pass Congress. Republicans control the U.S. House and Democrats only narrowly control the U.S. Senate.
