Democratic National Committee Strengthens Support for Women’s Reproductive Health and Decision-Making, Including Access to Abortion, in 2016 Platform

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2016
Contact: Christie Petrone, 646-520-3504, [email protected]

Statement from Andrea Miller, President, National Institute for Reproductive Health

“The 2016 Democratic National Committee platform, adopted at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, is unprecedented in its affirmation of reproductive health, rights, and justice. The platform acknowledges that ‘reproductive health is core to women’s, men’s, and young people’s health and wellbeing,’ opposes federal and state laws that deny or limit access to abortion, and vows to appoint judges who will defend and protect a woman’s right to safe and legal abortion. Further, the platform recognizes the importance of affordable health care, medically accurate sex education, and access to birth control in women’s lives.

“In an assertion of the dire importance of all women’s access to abortion care, the 2016 DNC platform opposes the Hyde Amendment and advocates overturning it. The explicit call to repeal the Hyde amendment — which prevents federal money from being used to cover abortions — represents a sea change in the Democratic party’s affirmation of a woman’s access to reproductive health care, including abortion, ‘regardless of where she lives, how much money she makes, or how she is insured.’ The 2016 platform extends this commitment globally, also supporting the repeal of the ‘global gag rule’ and the Helms Amendment, which together have denied women access to health information and services and undermined the availability of safe abortion in the developing world.

“The DNC platform acknowledges that the positions it advocates reflect the views and vision of the majority of people across this country. As National Institute polling found, voters overwhelmingly support the right to abortion and want a woman’s experience in having an abortion to be supportive, respectful of her decision, affordable, available in her community, and without embarrassment, pressure, or shame.

“Coupled with its commitment to ‘support a woman’s decision to have a child, including by ensuring a safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth, and by providing services during pregnancy and after the birth of a child, including adoption and social support services, as well as protections for women against pregnancy discrimination,’ this platform embraces the vision shared by the vast majority of Americans who recognize that decisions about whether, when, and with whom to have children is fundamental to health and well-being of women, families, and communities.

“The National Institute for Reproductive Health applauds the Democratic National Committee for strengthening its support for a woman’s right to make important decisions about reproductive life and health and its embrace of access to the full range of reproductive health services, including abortion, in its 2016 platform.”

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