The abortion restrictions article highlights the impact of these rulings, including increased restrictions and the political implications for upcoming elections. It also features statements from President Biden and former President Trump regarding their positions on abortion policy and their influence on judicial appointments.
Washington — Two years ago, the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion that had been guaranteed for nearly five decades under Roe v. Wade, leaving a patchwork of access in states in its wake.
Since the court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, nearly a third of states have near-total bans on the procedure in place, while access to abortion is severely restricted in a handful of others.
Despite the new restrictions, abortions that occurred in the formal health care system rose 11% from 2020 to 2023, according to findings from the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights research group. States that border those with near-total bans saw the most significant spikes in abortions. Illinois, New Mexico, Virginia and North Carolina experienced the sharpest jumps, according to Guttmacher, as new routes to access take shape in the aftermath of the high court’s decision.
Here’s where abortion restrictions stand in all 50 states:
Meanwhile, abortion has become a key political issue, driving voters to the polls since the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision. Democrats are working to ensure November’s election is no different, increasingly putting the blame for unwinding the right to abortion on Republicans in recent months and calling out former President Donald Trump for appointing the three justices to the high court who helped cement the ruling overturning Roe.
“Donald Trump is the sole person responsible for this nightmare,” President Biden said in a statement. “This is a man who brags about overturning Roe v. Wade, has called for women who access reproductive health care to be punished — and says he would rule as a dictator on day one. If given the chance, there is no question he will ban abortion nationwide, with or without the help of Congress.”
At the same time, Trump has touted the move, dubbing himself the “most pro-life president,” though he has pledged to leave the issue to the states should he return to office.
“My view is now that we have abortion where everybody wanted it from a legal standpoint, the states will determine by vote or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land,” Trump said in a video posted on Truth Social in April. “In this case, the law of the state.”
