Abortion groups put out policy wish list: No parental consent, no Hyde amendment, more 'self-managed' abortion

What's on abortion groups' political wish list this election cycle? A coalition of almost 80 pro-abortion groups want to see taxpayer-funded abortions, no abortion restrictions, no parental consent laws, and no conscience protections for religious organizations.

Earlier this month, a broad group of pro-abortion organizations — which includes Planned Parenthood Federation of America, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Organization for Women, People For the American Way, and others — put out a "Blueprint for Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice" that provides a vision of what they want the future of abortion in America to look like.

"We hold true that in order for people to be free and equal they must be able to exercise complete autonomy over their bodies," the document's summary says. "That's why we, a coalition of nearly 80 organizations, have come together to set forth a policy agenda to advance sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for people in the U.S and around the world."

The "blueprint" lists public abortion funding via repeal of the Hyde Amendment, calling for legislation that would "end the Hyde Amendment and related restrictions and ensure that everyone has abortion coverage, regardless of their income or source of insurance."

It also calls for ending restrictions against overseas abortion funding via the Helms Amendment, saying that it "unjustly restricts federal global funding from covering abortion care."

The groups also want to expand abortion to minor-aged children by the elimination of parental consent laws, saying, "Young people deserve the right to access all sexual and reproductive health services — including but not limited to abortion." The document says elsewhere that "young people cannot meaningfully determine their destiny when parental consent and notification is required for sexual and reproductive health care." 13 states and the District of Columbia currently have no parental consent requirement.

The blueprint calls for the decriminalization of "self-managed" or DIY abortions, which "may include the use of medication abortion pills (mifepristone and/or misoprostol), traditional herbs, or other means to end a pregnancy" and, according to the groups, "is generally safe and effective." Conducting your own abortion is illegal in seven states.

The groups also want to strip away First Amendment protections from health care providers who object to terminating children's lives in utero by calling for lawmakers "to ensure that hospitals and other health facilities do not refuse appropriate reproductive health-care services, information and referrals, regardless of their religious affiliation." They also call for the elimination of the HHS Office of Conscience and Religious Freedom because it "carries out discriminatory policies."

The organizations also want to eliminate state pro-life laws by passage of a federal law that will "prevent state abortion bans and medically unnecessary restrictions" on abortion. The groups do not specify any abortion restrictions that they would permit to continue.

Pro-abortion groups have effectively had this kind of platform "for about 20 years or so," March for Life Action president Tom McClusky told the National Catholic Register. "The only difference now is that it's also part of the Democratic platform."

Indeed, the 2020 Democratic field has seen quite a bit of abortion extremism. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., recently celebrated her birthday at a Planned Parenthood event. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has endorsed unrestricted abortion up until birth. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., wants to create a federal office to expand abortion access. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said she would force states to check with her administration before enacting pro-life laws. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., compared pro-life views to racism. Even former Vice President Joe Biden flip-flopped on his past support for the Hyde Amendment and recently came out against parental consent laws.

Those views, however, are radically out of step with most Americans, according to polling from this year. In a Marist Poll from February, only 10 percent of respondents support abortion up to the point of birth, while 75 percent of respondents said that it should be restricted to the first three months of pregnancy at most. More recent polling found that a 45 percent plurality of Democrats, Republicans, and independents believe that abortion should be "illegal in most cases" with "some exceptions."

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