There are many issues in the US presidential election taking place on Tuesday. In this, the demand for abortion is at the top. Since the Supreme Court banned it about two years ago, parties have taken advantage of it in different ways. Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris says her government will do this. While Trump is against it. But the truth is that a large number of voters would have decided on the basis of this question. But it is not easy to enact or change any abortion law in the United States.
what happened two years ago
In June 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned a nearly five-decade-old decision approving abortion. Even before this, 13 states had enacted anti-abortion laws, but not as strict. Even if there were difficulties, women would go to hospitals in other states. But the decision made two years ago changed everything. By declaring abortion morally and religiously wrong, the court gave states the power to make anti-abortion laws as strict as they wish.
Women forced to abort at home
Abortion clinics were closed shortly after. Even planned abortions were cancelled. Since then the situation continued to deteriorate. Now the situation is such that in case of unwanted pregnancy, women are forced to abort the pregnancy at home. This claim was made by JAMA Network Open Journal, the journal of the American Medical Association, just a few months ago. It says millions of abortions are performed under unsafe conditions each year.
A large population believes in the right to abortion
Abortion has been debated for a long time in the United States, which is considered very modern. The majority of adults believe that this is a woman’s right and that the court should not interfere with it, while 40 percent of people believe that the fight against abortion is right. According to a report by The Guardian, around 85 percent of people considered abortion to be completely justified in certain circumstances. Now, this is also a big issue in elections. Donald Trump has been defending anti-abortion, while his party, including Kamala Harris, wants to eliminate this law. It is believed that this issue will have a great influence on victory or defeat.
Why was the anti-abortion law introduced?
There were religious, political and social reasons behind this. Catholics consider it incorrect according to religious beliefs. At the same time, many anti-abortion activists see it as a right to life and call it a conspiracy against the fetus. The leaders of the conservative parties in the United States also participated in this. After the court order, most states imposed a permanent ban on abortion. At the same time, some relaxation is observed in many states. In some places, this exemption is 6 weeks, when the pregnancy is often not even detected.
There is very little chance that the President can pass or change an abortion law.
Harris had promised that when Congress passes the Reproductive Freedom bill, as President, I will sign it without hesitation. That is to say, it is clear that unless Congress wants it, the bill will not reach the White House. If she is elected President, she will definitely be able to cancel an old amendment. In the 1970s, a law called the Hyde Amendment was passed. Their simple objective was to prevent Sangh money from being spent on abortions.
Supporters of this law consider it very important in terms of anti-abortion policies. They believe taxpayers have the right not to spend their money on things they don’t agree with. Opponents believe this is hurting vulnerable women, who have relied on federal money for abortion. The Hyde Amendment is still in effect. Harris alone cannot cancel it. This would hardly be possible due to political differences.
Now let’s look at the other side of this.
Trump had talked about setting a national limit on abortion during his initial rallies. That means all states should have a defined right to abortion. However, a few weeks later he himself withdrew this statement. It is now possible that some old laws could be used to further tighten abortion restrictions. For example, in the 19th century there was the Comstock Law, which criminalized abortion. Under this, abortion pills and the medical equipment necessary for it can also be banned.
