Kuhns and Seilor hold a banner message that democratic norms are imperiled by the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade. Photo: J. Zangas/DCMG
Washington DC—The tall metal fences and barricades have been taken down from around the Supreme Court and the protest crowds are thin. The street in front has been reopened to traffic but the fight to restore reproductive healthcare rights is still simmering thanks to a group of activists engaged in a grassroots campaign to see the fight through to the midterm elections. They may even continue protests beyond then if necessary.
The activists have still not given up hope that abortion rights can be restored if Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, win enough “blue State” victories in November to enable passage of law that side-steps the Court’s recent Dobbs ruling on abortion.
A modest group rallied for about an hour on Labor Day to remind the public the Dobbs ruling overturned Roe v. Wade, the 50-year Federal law granting access to abortion-on-demand, is affecting millions in 26 States, and that a looming healthcare crisis will only get worse. It was on June 24 the right-wing Court under Chief Justice John Roberts, turned the clock back to 1973 on reproductive healthcare liberties for over 169 million.
The activists held a die-in and walked a short distance to block traffic on
Independence Avenue before police responded a few minutes later, ordering them out of the street. Several handed out a ‘zine’ — an unsigned mini-magazine with instructions and a tutorial on how to obtain abortion pills by mail and how to use them. The zine also explained the basics on how the pills work to terminate unwanted pregnancies.
The activists spoke about the dangers to healthcare the Court’s decision has had on those needing abortions and one of its secondary affects—that stripping bodily autonomy from persons with a uterus will have direct implications on the workforce. For millions already in the workforce it means many will be forced to carry a fetus to term and then have to leave the ranks of the workforce to care for their unplanned birth, something that will disproportionately affect lower wage earners, Black women and minorities especially.
Sadie Kuhns, an organizer with OurRightsDC, who has been advocating for reproductive healthcare on demand since before the Dobbs decision, said that the Supreme Court undermined the very free-market system it typically supported by undermining its workforce by overturning Roe v Wade. And it undermined its most vulnerable workers at the roots of the labor force by stripping their ability to stay in the workforce under forced-birth circumstances.
Kuhns also railed against the Democratic Party for not taking this Court seriously when it had the chance to do something to protect reproductive healthcare. And although they were angry with the Democrats for not acting when they had the chance, they considered the situation strategically, “I’m pissed the f— off at the Democrats. If we lose Congress we’re done. Please register to vote. Vote for pro-choice candidates,” they said.
Kuhns’ remarks during the rally were a call not only for healthcare justice but economic justice.
Kuhns and Seilor hold a banner symbolizing errosion of democratic norms with the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade. Photo: J. Zangas/DCMG
Worsening Economic Future Post-Roe
The Turnaway Study, a long-term longitudinal project conducted by ANSIRH, examined the effects on families of unwanted pregnancy. The project researchers followed the lives of 1000 women over a 5-year period to track the social conditions of those seeking and receiving abortions versus those who were turned away. The first-of-its-kind study found:
— Persons denied an abortion had almost four times greater odds of a household income below the federal poverty level and three times greater odds of being unemployed.
— There was an increased likelihood that pregnant persons denied an abortion didn’t have enough money to pay for basic family necessities like food, housing and transportation if they were denied an abortion.
— Persons unable to terminate unwanted pregnancies were more likely to stay in contact with violent partners, putting them and their children at greater risk than if they had received the abortion.
— Continuing an unwanted pregnancy and giving birth is associated with more serious health problems than abortion.
— Existing children of pregnant persons denied abortions were more than three times more likely to live in households below the federal poverty level and they were less likely to achieve developmental milestones than the existing children of women who received abortions.
These findings point to a deteriorating economic outlook for lower wage earners, service industry workers, food service and restaurant workers, and housekeeping service workers. Wages have not kept abreast of inflation since the 1960s and a present day near double-digit rate of inflation, not seen since the early 1980s, has dealt a double punch to lower wage earners, something that’s going to economically stress Black and minority workers at a rate five times the average.
The U.S. is the only developed Western nation that still does not provide a compulsory national program of paid time off for workers needing time to care for an infant after giving birth. This further stresses wage earners at the lower end of the economic ladder.
Coupled with a stagnant Federal minimum wage that has remained cemented at $7.25 per hour since 1996, the economic outlook for wage earners is dim, especially in States like Alabama, where a total abortion law recently went into affect.
The Alabama State Legislature enacted its “most restrictive” abortion law in two generations after Dobbs went into effect. The law makes it a class-A felony for a healthcare provider to perform an abortion with a conviction penalty of 99 years’ sentence, and a 10 year sentence for anyone transporting a person out of State for an abortion.
The Turnaway Study also dispelled a popular belief among some conservatives that abortion leads to mental health issues for those who receive them. To the contrary, the analysis uncovered the opposite affects. The study found:
— Abortion does not increase a pregnant person’s risk of having suicidal thoughts, or the chance of developing PTSD, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, or lower life satisfaction.
— Abortion does not increase pregnant person’s use of alcohol, tobacco or drugs.
Nadine Seilor, a civil rights activist who has been working on reproductive healthcare access expressed dismay that more weren’t involved in the fight for abortion rights. “We are losing the little thread of democracy we have. We’re losing it even in the face of people knowing it is endangered and not enough people care.”
She has urged people to get involved with their presence and has devoted much of her free time working on reproductive healthcare options for everyone.
Behind The Scenes Organizing Grows As Street Movement Energy Fades
It is inevitable that the initial energy that drives people into the streets on social justice issues eventually fades. But as it’s energy dims it gives organizers an opportunity to build coalitions between people they’ve met along the way and then begins the not so prominent work of organizing behind the scenes in fights for causes.
Planned Parenthood published a state reproductive rights laws and abortion access tracker but warned that abortion rights access are changing as some States are imposing new laws and while grassroots organizations are challenging those laws in the courts.
Its website advised that the acts are changing quickly and to check with Abortion Finder Organization for the most recent information available.
Abortion Finder Organization is tracking access to reproductive healthcare across the country and provides this by-State web tool for an up-to-date authority on abortion access: Abortion Guides by State.
Tide Of Opinion And A Federal Response
There are positive signs the public clamor over the Dobbs ruling is forcing the Federal Government to act. It is also triggering grassroots efforts to intervene in healthcare rights for everyone.
Last week on August 29, 2022, the Veterans Administration announced it will provide life-saving healthcare for all Veterans in every State, no matter what the State laws say. In its interim final ruling for reproductive heath-care, the Secretary of the VA wrote, “VA is acting to help to ensure that, irrespective of what laws or policies States may impose, veterans who receive the care set forth in the medical benefits package will be able to obtain abortions, if determined needed by a health care professional, when the life or the health of the pregnant veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term or the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest.”
The Department of Defense is taking decisive action as well to provide access to reproductive healthcare for those Service members and dependents needing reproductive healthcare. The DoD has signaled it will adopt flexible policies to excuse Service Members from their regular duties to seek reproductive healthcare if needed.
In States across the country grassroots efforts are underway to provide assistance to those wanting access to reproductive healthcare. One example is in the State of Texas where an anonymous group will walk anyone through the process. A video on youtube published by Vice tells this story.
Congress will have the final say in whether or not a new Federal law is passed restoring abortion rights. Photo: J. Zangas/ DCMG
But this still leaves a large segment of the country without the liberty they enjoyed before June 24 of this year. It will be up to the Democratic Party to change the direction of economic and healthcare justice for pregnant persons if they are able to retain and gain Congressional leverage in the midterm elections.
There are positive signs the national clamor for abortion rights issue will make this so.
In Kansas there was an overwhelming 1000% surge of new voter registrations just before a special election was held on August 2 to restrict abortions. Organizers mobilized a “No” campaign and helped to reject the law by a 20% margin. Kansas is considered a deep-red state.
In Alaska, another red state, Mary Peltora defeated Sara Palin a special District election held on August 16 becoming the first Democrat to win a U.S. House election in Alaska since 1972. Peltola, is the first Alaska Native elected to Congress, and the first woman elected to represent Alaska in the House. Peltola ran on a platform of supporting abortion rights.
This was the fourth major special election victory since Roe was overturned in June.
