Biden Plans Florida Visit to Condemn Trump’s Six-Week Abortion Ban

President Biden plans to travel to Florida on Tuesday to voice his opposition to the state’s recent six-week abortion ban. This law, set to take effect soon, prohibits most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Biden’s visit is aimed at denouncing the legislation before it becomes enforceable, with him attributing the erosion of reproductive rights across the nation to former President Donald Trump. Through this trip, Biden underscores his steadfast commitment to safeguarding access to abortion and women’s reproductive healthcare services.

Biden will speak about “reproductive freedom” in Tampa, Florida, a state where Democrats have faced setbacks but see the abortion issue as a potential rallying point for voters. This marks Biden’s first major speech on abortion since Trump suggested letting states decide their own rules on the matter rather than having a national law.

Some Democrats are telling voters that Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices who contributed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This paved the way for strict abortion bans in numerous states. Biden is also weighing in on this issue, using his speeches and advertisements to link the consequences of the Supreme Court’s decision to Trump.

Democrats have seen that talking about abortion can get people to vote. They’ve won in places like Kentucky, Kansas, and Ohio, even though these are usually Republican strongholds. Now, they want to do the same in other conservative states. Their goal is to make Trump and other Republicans feel the heat by making abortion a big topic.

“We take Florida very seriously. The idea that Donald Trump has the state in the bag could not be further from the truth,” Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler told reporters Monday. “He owns not only the state of abortion rights across the country, but he owns the restriction that we’re seeing play out in Florida. So, yes, that means there’s an opportunity for us.”

Earlier this month, the top court in Florida gave the thumbs up to a new law that makes it tougher to have an abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy.

In Florida, voters will decide on a law about abortions since the state Supreme Court approved putting a measure to protect abortion rights in the state constitution on the ballot. Similar to other constitutional measures in Florida, this referendum needs 60% of the vote to pass in November. Trump, a Florida resident, hasn’t disclosed his stance on the measure.

Despite opposition to strict abortion bans in various states, Biden and his campaign allies are emphasizing abortion as a central theme in their 2024 campaign strategy. Florida, which has leaned Republican in recent years after being a swing state for decades, holds significance in the abortion debate. It serves as a crucial location for abortions due to its proximity to states with stringent bans on the procedure. Each year, over 80,000 women undergo abortions in Florida, constituting approximately 1 in 12 abortions nationwide. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many women from the South have sought abortions in Florida to escape restrictions in states like Alabama and South Carolina. However, with Florida’s new restriction coming into effect on May 1, North Carolina may become the closest option for those seeking abortions.

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