Biden softens abortion funding stance after party turns on him
‘If I believe healthcare is a right, I cannot support an amendment that makes it dependent on zip code’
JOE BIDEN has performed a U-turn on abortion after coming under a barrage of criticism from his own party.
The former vice-president and frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 previously said he supported an existing ban on using US government money to fund abortion.
His position was at odds with the stated policy of the Democratic Party and all the other contenders for its 2020 nomination. At the centre of the row is the Hyde Amendment, a 1976 law which makes it illegal for US taxpayers’ money to be spent on abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or saving the life of the mother.
As criticism mounted, Mr Biden, a Catholic who is personally opposed to abortion, said that he was reversing a policy position he had maintained for the last 40 years.
His decision came after several US states, including Alabama and Georgia, recently introduced strict new antiabortion laws which some critics have said are tantamount to an abortion ban.
Mr Biden said: “I’ve been struggling with the problems Hyde now presents.
“I want to be clear, I make no apologies for my last position. I make no apologies for what I’m about to say. Women’s rights and healthcare are under assault in a way that seeks to roll back every step of progress we’ve made over the last 50 years.
“If I believe healthcare is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone’s zip code.”
Abortion is emerging as a key issue in next year’s presidential election as conservatives seek to overturn Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion in America.
Among those who had lambasted Mr Biden’s previous position was Senator Elizabeth Warren, his fellow Democrat presidential candidate, who said she would “lead the fight” to repeal Hyde.
Mr Biden’s change of stance came about after he was confronted by aides. Alyssa Milano, the actress and women’s rights activist, also contacted his campaign manager to say the candidate “needed to change” his position.
A campaign official said there was surprise on the staff at how quickly Mr Biden announced his U-turn.
However, he would have faced an onslaught at the first Democratic debate in three weeks if he continued to support the Hyde Amendment.
Many in the party continue to be sceptical about his position on abortion rights.
Jess Morales Rocketto, a strategist for Hillary Clinton in 2016, said: “I am not clear that Joe Biden believes unequivocally that every single woman has the right to make decisions about her body.
“It is imperative that the Democratic nominee believe that.”