Anti-abortion politicians never intended to support women and children | The Hill

I've never understood why those who claim to be the defenders of individual liberty relentlessly oppose the right to terminate a pregnancy.  I understand the Catholic Church's defense of the "right to life" as based on the sanctity of life.  The "seamless ethic" of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin supported aid to families.  But the Church's orthodoxy opposing contraception always struck me as contradictory - because parental autonomy has always seemed to me to be the most child-protective.

As to Evangelicals and Republican politicians their ethic has always seemed to me to be what Mel Brooks called "F**the poor". So they're not hypocritical. Just cruel.

- GWC

Anti-abortion politicians never intended to support women and children | The Hill

BY KELLY BADEN, V.P. Public Policy, Guttmacher Institute

It’s been one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and conservative states have had plenty of time to enact the policies to support women, children and families that they promised to prioritize once they reached their goal of banning abortion. 

Immediately following the June 24, 2022, decision, politicians assured us that their post-Roe plans included supporting women and children. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said “Being pro-life means being pro-mothers, pro-babies, and pro-healthy futures,” while Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he was “enthusiastically prepared to take on the challenges ahead and to take every step necessary to support mothers and children.” The Tennessee House Republican Caucus declared their “unwavering commitment to fight for families.” 
 
Having spent decades working to overturn Roe v. Wade, have anti-abortion politicians delivered on their promises to support families one year after their judicial triumph? Spoiler alert: The answer is no. 
 
One marker to consider if a state is supporting families is whether they’ve enacted paid family and medical leave. The research behind this policy shows it improves infant and maternal health and is associated with decreased infant mortality. Notably, only 12 states plus DC have paid family and medical leave laws — and all 12 are states where abortion is legal and accessible. Not a single state that has banned abortion has enacted paid family and medical leave; the only state this year to enact this proven policy is Minnesota, a state that also passed new legislation to protect abortion rights and access.
 
We can also look to Medicaid expansion, a policy option enabled by the passage of the Affordable Care Act that invited states to expand their Medicaid programs to cover people in households below a specific income level. This development has been a game-changer, contributing to significant health and economic benefits, including improved postpartum health. Now, a decade after Medicaid expansion became available, only 10 states remain that have not yet adopted this policy. 
 
What have these 10 states prioritized rather than expanding Medicaid? Alabama: banned abortion. Tennessee: banned abortion. Wyoming: banned abortion (the ban is currently blocked). Texas: banned abortion. Mississippi: banned abortion. Florida: enacted a six-week abortion ban that will likely take effect in July. Georgia: has a six-week abortion ban in effect. South Carolina: just passed a six-week abortion ban currently being litigated. Wisconsin: legal complexity around the state’s 1849 abortion ban means abortion is unavailable. Kansas: would have likely banned abortion, but voters ensured that couldn’t happen in a news-grabbing ballot measure. 

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