National Institute for Reproductive Health: Candidates Show Strong Support for Abortion Rights and Access at First Democratic Debate

NEW YORK, June 26 -- The National Institute for Reproductive Health issued the following news release:

Andrea Miller, President of the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund (NIRH Action Fund), released the following statement praising the Democratic candidates for demonstrating strong support of reproductive freedom, including abortion, during the first presidential debate. Tonight's debate comes in the wake of an unprecedented national fight over abortion access that has spread to states across the country. In just the last six months alone, states such as New York, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, New Jersey, and Nevada have moved to protect abortion access from federal attack.

"At a time when the federal government is working to undermine abortion access, candidates at tonight's first Democratic debate stood firmly for reproductive health, rights, and justice," said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund. "The candidates went beyond pat support for reproductive rights, and expressed commitment to reproductive justice, insurance coverage for abortion, state proactive laws, and the need for a federal law to protect the rights currently ensured by Roe. Presidential candidates have powerful coattails and their positions reverberate across the states and down the ballot. In stark contrast to Donald Trump, it's heartening to see so many candidates come out in favor of strong policies to expand abortion access. We urge the candidates at tomorrow's debate to do the same."

For more than a decade, NIRH has been a leader in the fight to advance reproductive freedom across the country. Recently, they were integral to the successful effort to repeal an outdated criminal abortion ban in Massachusetts, and they led the fight to pass New York's landmark Reproductive Health Act. Earlier this year, NIRH published a report tracking the passage of more than 100 bills to advance reproductive health, rights, and justice in 27 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.).