In an interview on Thursday with CNN, Illinois’s Democratic governor JB Pritzker criticized GOP presidential candidates after their debate, saying:
“What we saw last night were, of course, the same old right-wing, Maga talking points. These are folks that want to take away people’s rights. They want to lower wages, not raise them. They aren’t for working people and they demonstrated that throughout the entire debate, one after another. They’re going to take away a woman’s right to choose and each one of them, in turn, essentially, doubled down on it.
I think what we saw last night was an ignorance of what happened on Tuesday night which was an affirmation of Joe Biden’s agenda for America.”
Illinois’s Democratic governor JB Pritzker has vowed to continue protecting abortion rights in his state following last night’s GOP presidential debate.
“I’ve said it loud and clear: Illinois will be a sanctuary for reproductive rights as long as I’m governor.
While the GOP presidential hopefuls debate how to take away your rights nationwide, I stand firm in my commitment to protect your freedoms.”
On Tuesday, voters in Ohio successfully voted to add abortion rights to the state constitution.
According to a new Axios report, Pritzker’s abortion rights group, Think Big America, has donated $1 million to an effort to put a measure similar to Ohio’s on Nevada’s ballot in 2024 and is also in talks with abortion rights groups across Arizona and Florida.
Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest provider of reproductive rights organization, has slammed Republican presidential candidates over their anti-abortion views following last night’s debate.
“Did the #GOPDebate presidential candidates miss the election results last night? They continue to push their lies about abortion, but we know the truth: Abortion is safe, normal, and WINS ELECTIONS,” the group tweeted.
Planned Parenthood also criticized Nikki Haley’s calls for a consensus surrounding abortion access, saying:
“Nikki Haley, we already have a ‘consensus:’ Most Americans agree that abortion should be safe, legal, and not in the hands of politicians.”
Following the series of Democratic wins this week surrounding abortion rights, former president Barack Obama urged voters to “keep organizing, keep voting and keep making our voices heard” as the country heads into 2024.
“Once again, voters made it clear that they believe women should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies,” Obama said.
Here is more from the memo sent to Congress’s Republican lawmakers from Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America:
“The GOP already tried the ‘ostrich strategy’ in 2022 of ignoring the issue and hoping it would go away. It didn’t work, and tonight’s results show that the issue is still salient with voters. It is long past due for the GOP to define where it stands on the issue nationally …
The GOP should contrast this stance of clarity and compassion with the Democrats, who do not support a single limit on abortion, celebrate abortion, and have long moved past the “pro-choice” position.
Referencing to Democrats gaining control of Virginia’s state legislature on Tuesday, Dannenfelser said:
“What yesterday’s election in Virginia also shows is that having a clear position and contrasting it isn’t enough – campaigns and the party must put real advertising dollars behind it, going toe-to-toe with the Democrats.”
Good morning,
Following a series of abortion wins for Democrats across the country on Tuesday, Democrats are reportedly rushing to get abortion on the ballot in swing states while Republican leaders struggle to figure out vote-winning stance.
With Ohio voting on Tuesday to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, there is “now added urgency” to put abortion rights on ballots in Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota, a new Axios report reveals.
“Winning in red states is inspiring. Ohio really has taken this ballot measure strategy to protect abortion rights to the next level,” Kelly Hall, executive director of progressive non-profit The Fairness Project, told Axios.
According to the report, abortion rights groups are also trying to enshrine abortion rights in Colorado’s state constitution. Moreover, Think Big America, an abortion rights group launched by Illinois’s Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has donated $1m to an effort to put a measure similar to Ohio’s on Nevada’s ballot in 2024. The group is also in discussions with abortion rights groups in Arizona and Florida, a senior staffer told the outlet.
Meanwhile, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America, told Congress in an internal memo on Wednesday: “Abortion will be an issue in every race in 2024, so the GOP must lean in and define this issue.”
Here are other developments in US politics:
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Joe Biden will meet United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain in Illinois today to highlight the details from the tentative deal with Detroit automakers
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US Senate Democrats are set to vote on Supreme Court ethics probe subpeonas involving GOP billionaire donor Harlan Crow and legal activist Leonard Leo
