In the United States, the abortion rights debate is raging in the run-up to this year's presidential election. Two years on from an historic Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, laws vary significantly from state to state, with some imposing near-total bans.

Washington

In the United States, the abortion rights debate continues to be a significant issue. On the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, supporters of reproductive rights demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court and in various states including New York, Georgia, and Colorado. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have both addressed the topic, with Harris criticizing former President Donald Trump for his role in appointing justices who made the ruling possible.

Trump recently praised the efforts of the pro-life movement and highlighted his judicial appointments to a conservative Christian group. The ruling has led to 14 states banning abortion and others imposing various restrictions on abortion procedures. Conservative Republicans are also seeking bans on in vitro fertilization and abortion medications.

Recent polls indicate a shift in public opinion, with more Americans reconsidering their stance on abortion rights amid tighter restrictions. Personal stories, such as a Texas woman having to leave the state for a legal abortion, have also brought attention to the issue. In Arizona, a key swing state, activists are pushing to get a measure enshrining abortion rights on the ballot, which Democrats hope will mobilize voters and benefit Biden in the upcoming election.



Abortion rights debate rages in the U.S.

When do we want them? On the second anniversary of the decision overturning women's constitutional right to abortion, supporters of reproductive rights demonstrated in front of the Supreme Court. Demonstrators also protested in New York, Georgia, Colorado, and elsewhere. And President Joe Biden released an attack ad. What Donald Trump has to say about reproductive health care is terrifying. In Maryland, Vice President Kamala Harris used her training as a former prosecutor to blast former President Donald Trump. In the case of the stealing of reproductive freedom from the women of America, Donald Trump is guilty. Trump appointed three conservative justices to the court, making the ruling possible, as he boasted recently to a conservative Christian group. Thanks to these justices, we have also achieved what the pro-life movement fought to get for 49 years. And we've gotten abortion out of the federal government and back to the states. In the past two years, 14 states have banned abortion, with others restricting when an abortion can be performed during pregnancy. Conservative Republicans also seek bans on in vitro fertilization and abortion medications. New polls show a sharp increase in Americans changing their minds about abortion rights. You're seeing people who might have called themselves pro-life before see things like the restrictions on IVF, and they had no idea that that was the kind of world they were entering into. Women are speaking out. A Texas woman had to flee the state for a legal abortion when one of the twins she was carrying was dying. We're sounding the alarm about what is already happening and what has happened to us. Arizona is a crucial swing state that Biden won by a hairsbreadth 10,000 vote margin in 2020. Harris traveled there Monday to give a speech on reproductive rights. Pro-choice activists are working to put a measure enshrining abortion rights on the ballot in Arizona in November. These bans are impacting people who thought that they were pro-life. Democrats hope the referendum will drive otherwise disenchanted voters to the polls. That would give Biden a significant advantage. The only way that we can protect reproductive freedom in Arizona and nationwide is to re-elect President Biden and Vice President Harris. In a closely fought election, abortion rights could be the deciding issue. Rob Reynolds, Al Jazeera.

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