Republicans say their official platform has shifted away from a national ban on abortion, but Connecticut Democrats on Tuesday warned voters to scrutinize the party’s track record on the issue.
“What are they doing in Congress? What are they doing in state legislatures? What has the Supreme Court done?” said Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz during a press conference on reproductive rights held at the New Haven offices of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “That’s what voters should be looking at.”
Bysiewicz pointed to the continued threats to reproductive rights that could come to fruition under a second Trump presidency, including the Supreme Court’s mifepristone ruling, which left open the possibility of future plaintiffs bringing similar cases, as well as state-level proposals to ban IVF.
And, she said, whatever former President Donald Trump’s current position is on a national ban, he has proudly taken credit for overturning Roe v. Wade.
U.S. Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro said that, despite the change to the official party platform, restricting reproductive rights remains the goal for many Republican lawmakers.
“I see this every single day through the appropriations process,” said DeLauro, a ranking member of the Appropriations Committee. “The bills that have come forward are all about restricting rights.”
The pair, who were accompanied by other state officials and reproductive rights experts, also addressed the significance of Trump’s choice for his vice presidential candidate, the staunchly anti-abortion Ohio senator, J.D. Vance.
“He is opposed to abortion, even in cases of rape and incest,” said Bysiewicz. “We know this is one of the most important issues, and I think it’s something that will motivate people to go to the polls in November.”
Once the press conference opened up to questions from the media, the conversation quickly shifted from the Republican party to the viability of Biden’s candidacy. DeLauro maintained support for Biden, though she referred to his decision to run as still outstanding.
“I support President Biden,” she said. “In time, he may make a different decision. But whatever it is, I support the president.”
But DeLauro pushed back when a member of the press pointed out that several respected pollsters, including her husband, Stanley Greenberg, are sharing memos showing that Democrats will suffer major losses with Biden at the top of the ticket.
“I just beg to differ with you on that. I don’t know what your data is. It would be interesting to see,” DeLauro told the reporter, and accused him of quoting memos he’d never seen.
“There’s CNN reporting that Mr. Greenberg has put out polls to the Biden campaign that shows him losing and that also shows Democrats down the ballot losing,” he responded. “We talked to Congressman Himes. He’s seen those internal polls.”
DeLauro pivoted the conversation back to reproductive rights just before the press conference wrapped up.
“Congressman Himes has made up his mind. I don’t know what information he’s looked at,” she said. “On the issue we’re talking about today, there is real clarity on who is supportive of a woman’s right to choose and who is not supportive of a woman’s right to choose.”
