Congress has only a handful of Democrats who oppose abortion, but one of them will join two Republicans in headlining this year’s March for Life rally in the nation’s capital, underscoring anti-abortion activists’ craving for bipartisan support.
The activists face a difficult mission, because the number of anti-abortion Democrats in Congress is not just small but also shrinking. Lawmakers such as Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois, the Democrat set to speak at the march on Jan. 18 alongside Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., face rejection from members of their own party. While Lipinski is embraced by anti-abortion activists, other lawmakers face skepticism from activists who see electing Republicans as the safer route to enacting legislation.
In the late 1990s, there were roughly 40 Democrats in Congress opposed to abortion. In the last election, Democrats for Life of America endorsed only eight candidates in both chambers of Congress. Five won.
Lipinski stresses to fellow Democrats that polling shows that as much as 30 percent of the party identifies as “pro-life.”
“If the Democratic party would be more accepting of people who are pro-life, there are a lot more voters out there who would be Democratic voters,” Lipinski said. “I think that’s very important, and I continue to push the party to have an open door, to be more accepting of pro-life Democrats.”
Polling suggests politicians are more absolute in their positions on abortion than the bulk of voters. According to Gallup, 29 percent of voters believe abortion should be legal under any circumstances, while 18 percent believe it should be illegal in all circumstances. Half of voters believe it should be legal only under certain circumstances.
Understanding this breakdown in voters, Democrats for Life uses the mantra “pro-life for the whole life” to advocate not just for abortion restrictions but also for access to sex education, prenatal care, paid family leave, and childcare. They believe they can bring in voters who oppose abortion but don’t favor the broader Republican agenda, as well as those who have become weary of President Trump.
“Pro-life Democrats could and are promoting what they refer to as a ‘whole life agenda’ that isn’t just about the legality of abortion, but whether we are creating a society in which abortion is unthinkable,” said Michael Wear, who directed faith outreach for former President Barack Obama and is on the board of Democrats for Life.
Prominent anti-abortion groups have cautioned that taking a wider-lens approach to social issues risks losing sight of the main goal.
“The very first and most basic right that needs to occur is for a person to be brought to term and to be born,” said Jeanne Mancini, March for Life president. “Without that dignity being respected, none of the other flourishing can happen.”
At the same time that anti-abortion Democrats must contend with skepticism from the broader anti-abortion movement, they must also face the fact that the mainstream of their party is trending away from them.
The party that once said abortion should be “safe, legal, and rare,” dropped the word “rare” in 2012. The Democratic National Committee’s 2016 platform asserted support for Planned Parenthood and opposition to restrictions on abortion. The committee also called for repealing the Hyde Amendment that blocks federal funding from paying for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when a woman’s pregnancy is life-threatening.
The long-strained relationship between anti-abortion advocates and Democrats deteriorated with the passage of Obamacare. The final legislation did not include the anti-abortion language advocates asked for. Instead, Obama signed an executive order reaffirming that federal funding for abortion was banned.
Mancini, who is politically independent, said she was stunned that Democrats who called themselves “pro-life” voted for the bill even though it lacked the language anti-abortion advocates sought. The Susan B. Anthony List, which backs candidates who support abortion restrictions, launched the “Votes Have Consequences” campaign after Obamacare, and many of the Democrats who voted yes were unseated by Republicans. Now the group supports mostly Republicans.
“The Democrats that will support us are few and far between,” acknowledged Mallory Quigley, spokeswoman for the group.
But Susan B. Anthony List is nonpartisan and is open to Democrats who consistently vote for its causes. This past election it campaigned heavily for Lipinski, for instance.
“[Lipinski] has been nothing but an ally and has carried the torch alone, even among other Democrats who call themselves pro-life,” Quigley said.
Anti-abortion Democrats struggle to influence their party on the issue. After the platform plan related to Hyde was announced, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., objected, telling the committee that “many Americans remain morally opposed to abortion, and do not wish to see their tax dollars go to pay for abortion.”
But Democratic leaders and pro-abortion advocates haven’t budged, saying Hyde is burdensome to poor women and stressing that they view abortion as inseparable from the issue of healthcare access. They also point to massive turnout during the Women’s March following Trump’s inauguration as evidence of enthusiasm for their cause. They say abortion rights are more threatened than ever with the new conservative makeup of the Supreme Court.
“We understand that people have personal beliefs about abortion and we aren’t asking anyone to change deeply held personal beliefs,” said Andrew Taverrite, press secretary for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “However, we do oppose legislating and imposing those personal beliefs onto others — that is the distinction. Women’s health and rights are non-negotiable — and that includes access to safe, legal abortion.”
Democrats for Life rejects this perspective and has worked to communicate to the DNC that it believes lawmakers should be allowed to vote their conscience.
“Democrats are the party of inclusion and diversity,” said Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life. “I have a hard time accepting why it’s to everything but this. To say you can feel that way but you can’t vote that way doesn’t make any sense at all.”
Democrats who oppose abortion and reach higher office are viewed with mistrust by anti-abortion groups. David O’Steen, executive director of National Right to Life, said he wasn’t optimistic that Democrats would support abortion restrictions.
“You may see someone try to run that way if they think it’s politically advantageous, but they come to Congress and they generally fall in line with the pro-abortion industry,” he said.
That’s how several groups view Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Manchin has voted alongside only two other Senate Democrats to ban abortions after 20 weeks into a pregnancy and was the only Democrat to vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Still, Susan B. Anthony List ran ads against him in 2018 because he voted against an Obamacare repeal measure that also contained a provision that would have cut off family planning funds for Planned Parenthood and other facilities that provide abortions. The vote would have had a much larger effect on the healthcare system and not only on abortion.
Jonathan Kott, spokesman for Manchin, declined to address questions about Manchin’s stance on Democrats’ approach to abortion.
“He is pro-life and has consistently voted that way,” Kott said.
