Joe Biden delivers a keynote address at the Brookings Institution on May 8, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Jun 05, 2019
Former vice president Joe Biden's campaign for president confirmed Wednesday that the Delaware Democrat still supports the controversial, anti-choice Hyde Amendment, a revelation that generated intense criticism from rights groups.
Biden's support of the policy, 43 years after it was first signed into law, is a sign that the former vice president is out of step with his party.
"This puts him at odds with his own party's platform at this point," New York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister tweeted, adding that Biden's position puts him "also at odds with a morally coherent position."
The Hyde Amendment, which was passed in 1976, restricts the use of federal funding for abortions. It's been cited as a major setback for abortion rights and one of the main reasons that marginalized people find it difficult to access reproductive health services.
Biden's campaign, in an article on how the current primary frontrunner has changed his views on abortion, toldNBC reporter Heidi Przybyla that barring an overturning of choice nationwide, the former vice president still supports Hyde.
Yet his presidential campaign confirmed to NBC News that Biden still supports the Hyde Amendment, a four-decade-old ban on using federal funds for abortion services, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman.
Biden's continued support for Hyde not only sets him apart from the rest of his 2020 Democratic competitors, but it may surprise progressive groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which promoted a recent tweet by one of its activists appearing to get Biden to commit to ending Hyde during a rope-line exchange in South Carolina. Biden's campaign told NBC he would be open to repealing Hyde if abortion avenues currently protected under Roe were threatened.
The news came as a surprise to rights groups, not least the ACLU, which had celebrated Biden apparently promising to repeal the Hyde Amendment in April during a campaign event.
\u201cOur volunteer Nina asked Joe Biden whether, as president, he would lift the Hyde amendment, which bans federal insurance coverage of abortion.\n\nHe said yes. #RightsForAll\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1557350957
Biden's campaign told The Hill the former vice president "misheard" the question.
The Biden campaign told The Hill that Biden misheard the ACLU volunteer and thought she was referring to the Mexico City rule, which prevents federal aid money from going to organizations overseas that perform abortions.
In a series of tweets, ReWire News editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson said that Biden's position showed a lack of understanding of what Hyde did under the best of circumstances--and a total misread of the current political moment.
"Even WITH Roe intact, even IF there were not myriad obstacles to abortion care despite Roe being intact, Hyde STILL HARMS people of color and low income people who can't access abortion care," said Jacobson.
"This response is even further out of touch than it seems at first glance," Jacobson added.
\u201cEven WITH Roe intact, even IF there were not myriad obstacles to abortion care despite Roe being intact, Hyde STILL HARMS people of color and low income people who can't access abortion care. \n\nThis response is even further out of touch than it seems at first glance.\n\n@JoeBiden\u201d— JodiJacobson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\ude78\ud83e\uddb7 @jljacobson@mastodon.social (@JodiJacobson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\ude78\ud83e\uddb7 @jljacobson@mastodon.social) 1559745538
"I'd like to put it out there that this guy ain't it," Vogue editor Michelle Ruiz tweeted.
NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue, in a blistering statement, rejected Biden's position as discriminatory and against the principles of his party.
"There's no political or ideological excuse for Joe Biden's support for the Hyde Amendment, which translates into discrimination against poor women and women of color plain and simple," said Hogue. "His position further endangers women and families already facing enormous hurdles and creates two classes of rights for people in this country, which is inherently undemocratic."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Former vice president Joe Biden's campaign for president confirmed Wednesday that the Delaware Democrat still supports the controversial, anti-choice Hyde Amendment, a revelation that generated intense criticism from rights groups.
Biden's support of the policy, 43 years after it was first signed into law, is a sign that the former vice president is out of step with his party.
"This puts him at odds with his own party's platform at this point," New York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister tweeted, adding that Biden's position puts him "also at odds with a morally coherent position."
The Hyde Amendment, which was passed in 1976, restricts the use of federal funding for abortions. It's been cited as a major setback for abortion rights and one of the main reasons that marginalized people find it difficult to access reproductive health services.
Biden's campaign, in an article on how the current primary frontrunner has changed his views on abortion, toldNBC reporter Heidi Przybyla that barring an overturning of choice nationwide, the former vice president still supports Hyde.
Yet his presidential campaign confirmed to NBC News that Biden still supports the Hyde Amendment, a four-decade-old ban on using federal funds for abortion services, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman.
Biden's continued support for Hyde not only sets him apart from the rest of his 2020 Democratic competitors, but it may surprise progressive groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which promoted a recent tweet by one of its activists appearing to get Biden to commit to ending Hyde during a rope-line exchange in South Carolina. Biden's campaign told NBC he would be open to repealing Hyde if abortion avenues currently protected under Roe were threatened.
The news came as a surprise to rights groups, not least the ACLU, which had celebrated Biden apparently promising to repeal the Hyde Amendment in April during a campaign event.
\u201cOur volunteer Nina asked Joe Biden whether, as president, he would lift the Hyde amendment, which bans federal insurance coverage of abortion.\n\nHe said yes. #RightsForAll\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1557350957
Biden's campaign told The Hill the former vice president "misheard" the question.
The Biden campaign told The Hill that Biden misheard the ACLU volunteer and thought she was referring to the Mexico City rule, which prevents federal aid money from going to organizations overseas that perform abortions.
In a series of tweets, ReWire News editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson said that Biden's position showed a lack of understanding of what Hyde did under the best of circumstances--and a total misread of the current political moment.
"Even WITH Roe intact, even IF there were not myriad obstacles to abortion care despite Roe being intact, Hyde STILL HARMS people of color and low income people who can't access abortion care," said Jacobson.
"This response is even further out of touch than it seems at first glance," Jacobson added.
\u201cEven WITH Roe intact, even IF there were not myriad obstacles to abortion care despite Roe being intact, Hyde STILL HARMS people of color and low income people who can't access abortion care. \n\nThis response is even further out of touch than it seems at first glance.\n\n@JoeBiden\u201d— JodiJacobson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\ude78\ud83e\uddb7 @jljacobson@mastodon.social (@JodiJacobson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\ude78\ud83e\uddb7 @jljacobson@mastodon.social) 1559745538
"I'd like to put it out there that this guy ain't it," Vogue editor Michelle Ruiz tweeted.
NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue, in a blistering statement, rejected Biden's position as discriminatory and against the principles of his party.
"There's no political or ideological excuse for Joe Biden's support for the Hyde Amendment, which translates into discrimination against poor women and women of color plain and simple," said Hogue. "His position further endangers women and families already facing enormous hurdles and creates two classes of rights for people in this country, which is inherently undemocratic."
Former vice president Joe Biden's campaign for president confirmed Wednesday that the Delaware Democrat still supports the controversial, anti-choice Hyde Amendment, a revelation that generated intense criticism from rights groups.
Biden's support of the policy, 43 years after it was first signed into law, is a sign that the former vice president is out of step with his party.
"This puts him at odds with his own party's platform at this point," New York Magazine writer Rebecca Traister tweeted, adding that Biden's position puts him "also at odds with a morally coherent position."
The Hyde Amendment, which was passed in 1976, restricts the use of federal funding for abortions. It's been cited as a major setback for abortion rights and one of the main reasons that marginalized people find it difficult to access reproductive health services.
Biden's campaign, in an article on how the current primary frontrunner has changed his views on abortion, toldNBC reporter Heidi Przybyla that barring an overturning of choice nationwide, the former vice president still supports Hyde.
Yet his presidential campaign confirmed to NBC News that Biden still supports the Hyde Amendment, a four-decade-old ban on using federal funds for abortion services, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the woman.
Biden's continued support for Hyde not only sets him apart from the rest of his 2020 Democratic competitors, but it may surprise progressive groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, which promoted a recent tweet by one of its activists appearing to get Biden to commit to ending Hyde during a rope-line exchange in South Carolina. Biden's campaign told NBC he would be open to repealing Hyde if abortion avenues currently protected under Roe were threatened.
The news came as a surprise to rights groups, not least the ACLU, which had celebrated Biden apparently promising to repeal the Hyde Amendment in April during a campaign event.
\u201cOur volunteer Nina asked Joe Biden whether, as president, he would lift the Hyde amendment, which bans federal insurance coverage of abortion.\n\nHe said yes. #RightsForAll\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1557350957
Biden's campaign told The Hill the former vice president "misheard" the question.
The Biden campaign told The Hill that Biden misheard the ACLU volunteer and thought she was referring to the Mexico City rule, which prevents federal aid money from going to organizations overseas that perform abortions.
In a series of tweets, ReWire News editor-in-chief Jodi Jacobson said that Biden's position showed a lack of understanding of what Hyde did under the best of circumstances--and a total misread of the current political moment.
"Even WITH Roe intact, even IF there were not myriad obstacles to abortion care despite Roe being intact, Hyde STILL HARMS people of color and low income people who can't access abortion care," said Jacobson.
"This response is even further out of touch than it seems at first glance," Jacobson added.
\u201cEven WITH Roe intact, even IF there were not myriad obstacles to abortion care despite Roe being intact, Hyde STILL HARMS people of color and low income people who can't access abortion care. \n\nThis response is even further out of touch than it seems at first glance.\n\n@JoeBiden\u201d— JodiJacobson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\ude78\ud83e\uddb7 @jljacobson@mastodon.social (@JodiJacobson \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 \ud83e\ude78\ud83e\uddb7 @jljacobson@mastodon.social) 1559745538
"I'd like to put it out there that this guy ain't it," Vogue editor Michelle Ruiz tweeted.
NARAL Pro-Choice America president Ilyse Hogue, in a blistering statement, rejected Biden's position as discriminatory and against the principles of his party.
"There's no political or ideological excuse for Joe Biden's support for the Hyde Amendment, which translates into discrimination against poor women and women of color plain and simple," said Hogue. "His position further endangers women and families already facing enormous hurdles and creates two classes of rights for people in this country, which is inherently undemocratic."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.