As GOP Threatens a Shutdown Over Abortion Restriction Demands, 9 in 10 Americans Say Congress Should Focus on Avoiding a Shutdown Instead of Restricting Abortion Access
Seven Out of Twelve Appropriations Bills Currently Include Restrictions on Abortion
This weekend marks the deadline for Congress to come to an agreement on funding the federal government before an official government shutdown begins at midnight on October 1. Unable to pass any party-priority bills in the last eight months, House Republicans are instead incorporating unnecessary and irrelevant provisions to spending packages, many of which are aimed at further eroding abortion access and forcing votes on bills.
Using must-pass spending legislation as a vehicle is the latest effort by extreme MAGA Republicans to dismantle access to abortion and reproductive care further. GOP efforts to restrict or ban abortion are highly unpopular, with nearly 70 percent of voters opposing “one-size-fits-all” abortion bans and 58 percent of voters strongly agreeing that abortion bans are dangerous, yet House Republicans are willing to force a government shutdown over their harmful and unpopular policy priorities.
As it stands, seven out of 12 appropriations bills include restrictions on abortion. These provisions include:
Limiting access to the abortion medication mifepristone, a safe and effective method of ending an early pregnancy;
Prohibiting the VA from providing abortion services to veterans;
Banning the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care;
Defunding Planned Parenthood and other family planning clinics;
Prohibiting funding of an “abortion hotline” to provide people with information on where abortion access is available;
Stopping the Biden Administration from implementing executive orders to increase abortion access following the Dobbs ruling.
As you’re considering coverage of the looming government shutdown and the GOP proposed appropriations bills, Free & Just storyteller Carrie Frail is available to speak to press. Carrie is an Air Force veteran who received an abortion at the only clinic in Missouri at the time, which is now closed. Carrie’s daughter, who is currently serving in the Air Force in Missouri, would have to take leave and travel out of state to receive the same care her mother received almost 15 years ago. Carrie can speak to how important abortion care is for veterans and service members and the harmful impacts of Republicans' bill to ban the Department of Defense from covering expenses for Defense employees to travel to receive abortion care.
How Do Americans Feel About a Potential Government Shutdown?
The GOP abortion restriction provisions are widely unpopular among voters. In fact, a recent Navigator poll found that an overwhelming 90 percent of Americans want Congress to focus on avoiding a government shutdown instead of making it harder to access abortion. This includes a majority of independents (89 percent) and Republicans (84 percent).
A majority of Americans (63 percent) feel that a government shutdown would have a negative impact on their lives. Many see the most negative side effects of a shutdown falling on seniors and those who depend on Social Security and Medicare, as well as families that rely on programs that make raising families easier. When voters learn why House Republicans are threatening to shut down the government, voters are even more opposed to their tactics.
77 percent of Americans believe a government shutdown this fall will hurt the economy. This is especially critical in the context of abortion as forcing pregnancy erodes economic security due to the high costs of pregnancy and raising children.
People who are denied an abortion are more likely to be living in poverty even four years after, are less likely to be employed full-time, and face more unpaid debts and financial distress years later.
Abortion medication pills, like mifepristone, can cost up to $800.
Raising a child can cost an average of $13,000 a year, totaling approximately $233,000 over the course of childhood. The lack of a robust care economy means that having children has substantial economic consequences in the long term.
People who have to travel out of state to access abortion care can spend up to/around $10,000 - including car rental, airfare, gas, hotels, medical costs, food, child care, etc. For those living paycheck-to-paycheck, this amount is typically out of reach.
Republican-proposed cuts are deeply unpopular, especially those aimed at Social Security, nutrition assistance, education, clean water, and medical research funding.
American Perceptions About Risks to Abortion Access
Nearly 70 percent of Americans say that the right to an abortion is at risk nationally in America regardless of whether they live in a state that has enacted new restrictions since Roe was overturned or not. Additionally: 61 percent of Americans disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last June.
Nearly 2 in 3 (64%) Americans say they would vote to protect abortion rights in their own state if given the opportunity to vote on it.
Nearly 3 in 4 Americans oppose prosecuting patients who receive abortions. A majority of Americans also oppose prosecuting doctors who perform abortions.
If you’re interested in speaking with Carrie Frail for a story, please email zoe@freeandjust.us.
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