Cory Booker. Photo: by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
2020 presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) unveiled a plan Wednesday to advance reproductive health care rights, such as access to abortions and birth control, if elected president.
"I stand with those leading the fight for reproductive freedom and will continue to fight to protect the constitutional right to abortion and ensure that everyone has real access to reproductive health care."
Driving the news: Within the past 3 months, 5 states have signed bills into law restricting access to abortions, directly challenging the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. Democrats have long been champions of abortion rights, and several 2020 hopefuls have spoken out against these laws.
Details of Booker's plan:
- Nominate judges who would uphold reproductive rights in court.
- Pass legislation to codify the protections guaranteed by Roe v. Wade.
- Repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bans the use of federal funds for abortion with 3 exceptions: rape, incest and to save the life of the woman.
- Create a White House Office of Reproductive Freedom so reproductive rights do not just pass through Congress and the courts.
- Guarantee access to employer-covered contraceptive care and end the Trump administration's "gag rule," which cuts off funding for providers that offer abortions or abortion referrals.
The bottom line: Booker goes after President Trump in his post, promising to reverse much of his administration's restrictions on reproductive health care.
- "For more than two years under the Trump Administration, we have seen the impact of a relentless and coordinated attack on women."
- "Donald Trump and Mike Pence have led an all-out assault on women’s rights — and states across the country have followed."