A leading abortion rights group, NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Wednesday it is renaming itself as Reproductive Freedom for All as it gears up for a big fight over abortion in a post-Roe v. Wade world.
The 54-year-old organization said it decided to rebrand after years of research and discussions. The organization concluded people respond positively to the idea of abortion access being a “matter of freedom.”
“With the coalition of Americans who support reproductive freedom growing by the day, our leadership identified a clearer and more inclusive path forward to mobilize this new and expanded base of support,” organization President Mini Timmaraju said.
Abortion will be a pivotal topic in the 2024 election after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe decision that extended the right to terminate a pregnancy. The ruling last year in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization opened the door for state-based restrictions on abortion.
Democrats were livid over the Supreme Court decision. However, the topic is an animating force for their base. They plan to hammer GOP candidates over restrictions, saying polling and recent decisions in state-by-state ballot measures indicate the public is on their side.
Republican candidates, meanwhile, say Democrats should disclose whether they support any restrictions on abortion or if they want abortion on demand, including up to the point of birth.
The 2021 Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs poll showed that 61% of Americans favor keeping abortion legal in “most or all circumstances in the first trimester,” or about 13 weeks of gestation. In the second trimester, 65% said abortion should be illegal in most circumstances. That figure rose to 80% in the third trimester.
A Marist Poll for NPR/PBS this year month showed that 66% of Americans want abortion limited to the first trimester at most, and 22% of respondents said abortion should be allowed at any time. The survey found 59% opposed and 40% supported overturning Roe v. Wade.
Candidates for the GOP presidential nomination have differed on the path forward.
Former Vice President Mike Pence challenged his rivals to support a 15-week limit while former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said the nation should reach a consensus on the correct limit before imposing federal restrictions.
Former President Donald Trump has straddled the fence, taking credit for appointing justices that overturned Roe while suggesting there needs to be a negotiation over limits — a position that angered some pro-life voters — and that fellow Republicans are haphazard in their rhetoric.
“In order to win in 2024, Republicans must learn how to talk about Abortion,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Reproductive Freedom for All, meanwhile, said it plans to mobilize 4 million members to fight new limits in the upcoming cycle.
“In election after election, voters decisively deliver victories for reproductive freedom — marking a grassroots energy that has and will continue to change the political landscape for decades to come,” Ms. Timmaraju said. “There is a long road ahead of us, and there is no time to waste. Reproductive Freedom for All is a demand, a call to action, and a vision of the future we’re fighting for. Together, we’re going to make that vision come true.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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