Republicans' RNC platform does not include national abortion ban
FILE-Abortion rights demonstrators rally to mark the first anniversary of the US Supreme Court ruling in the Dobbs v Women's Health Organization case in Washington, D.C. on June 24, 2023. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The Republican National Committee's platform will not include a national abortion ban, adopting a policy document reflecting Donald Trump’s stance on the issue.
This platform, known as the 2024 GOP Platform to Make America Great Again!, relies on language on the Constitution's 14th Amendment to say that states are "free to pass laws" concerning abortion. The document is intended to guide Republican policymaking at every level of government, the Associated Press reported.
What is the national abortion ban?
Abortion rights have changed since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, which started a round of abortion policy changes and new laws surrounding them.
More than a dozen states have banned abortions or no longer have facilities where women can receive abortions.
RELATED: Supreme Court allowing emergency abortions in Idaho in limited ruling
What is Trump’s stance on abortion?
Donald Trump opposes a federal abortion ban and supports surrendering limits to the states.
The Republican presidential frontrunner has since been critical of the most stringent abortion bans in individual states.
RELATED: Study estimates nearly 65,000 pregnancies from rape happened in states with abortion bans
During the first presidential debate on June 27, the former president reiterated his belief in exceptions to abortion bans "for rape, incest, and the life of the mother." He emphasized his role in appointing three Supreme Court justices who were pivotal in overturning Roe v. Wade, returning the decision on abortion rights to individual states. He also mentioned that he would not block abortion medication if elected and agreed with the recent Supreme Court ruling on the abortion pill. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit challenging the FDA’s regulation of the abortion pill mifepristone, allowing it to be mailed to patients without an in-person doctor’s visit.
What’s been the past Republican platform on abortion?
The Republican party has long held the belief that the Constitution extends rights to the unborn, but removes language in the platform maintaining support for an "amendment to the Constitution and legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to children before birth," a passage in the party platform first included in 1984, the AP noted.
In 2016, the Republican platform included an endorsement of a 20-week national ban. Trump backed federal legislation in 2018 that could have banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, though the measure fell short of the required support in the Senate.
What are the other issues on the RNC platform?
The 2024 GOP Platform to Make America Great Again! highlights 20 issues it addresses in the document, including immigration, the economy, energy, taxes and crime.
Here’s the complete list of the issues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.