In Joe Biden’s 2007 book Promises to Keep, he took his then-moderate stance on abortion as a point of pride and highlighted how he would not support federal funding for abortions.
“I’ve stuck to my middle-of-the-road position on abortion for more than thirty years,” Biden wrote. “I still vote against partial birth abortion and federal funding, and I’d like to find ways to make it easier for scared young mothers to choose not to have an abortion, but I will also vote against a constitutional amendment that strips a woman of her right to make her own choice.
“That position has earned me the distrust of some women’s groups and the outright enmity of the Right to Life groups,” he added.
The former vice president and 2020 presidential contender reversed course on that long-held view Thursday when he proclaimed that “times have changed” and he no longer supports the provision blocking most instances of federally funded abortion, which is known as the Hyde Amendment.
Prior to the reversal, fellow Democrats criticized him after his campaign had signaled he still supported the amendment.
Before serving as vice president, Biden was a Delaware senator from 1973 to 2009. He is leading the pack of almost two dozen Democratic candidates, with a RealClearPolitics national average of polls placing him at 33.5% support.
