In Michigan, abortion is protected by the state constitution. But Republican-led efforts to pass a nationwide abortion ban could still put those rights at risk, Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned Michiganders this week.
MICHIGAN—During a visit to Michigan on Friday, Sen. and former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren issued a stark warning to Michigan voters ahead of the presidential election:
“You're not safe,” Warren told a group of women at a coffee shop in Royal Oak, where she met with state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and several activists from southeast Michigan.
“If Donald Trump and the Republicans are in charge, we're all going to lose access to abortion,” she said. “Despite the current protections for abortion in the state constitution, women in Michigan are still not safe. They are not safe in Massachusetts, they are not safe in Michigan, they are not safe in New York, they are not safe in California. They welcome all of us. They’re coming for everyone.”
Warren's full day visit to Michigan on Friday comes about six months before absentee ballots begin arriving in millions of mailboxes across the country ahead of the presidential election, and early voting begins across the country. It will be about 7 months before that happens. state.
And the stakes couldn't be higher, Warren said.
“Not only do we need to be there for President Biden, but we also need to make sure everyone understands what's at stake this year, because what's behind Door 2 is truly terrifying. '' Warren said. “Michigan is the key. We recognize that if we lose Michigan, we cannot save this country.”
“They're coming for you.”
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade And when abortion became a constitutional right nationwide in the summer of 2022, Michiganders quickly filled the void. These included efforts to pass a ballot initiative to add abortion rights to the state constitution and state laws to expand access to care.
And with President Joe Biden in the White House, Whitmer on the governor's desk, and Democrats in charge of both the U.S. Senate and the Michigan Legislature, Michigan's reproductive rights have never been more protected than they are today. Never before.
But if President Trump and anti-abortion Republicans were to take control of the federal government in 2025, it would lead to sweeping restrictions on abortion nationwide — including in Michigan, where abortion rights are protected. However, Warren repeatedly warned voters during a stop in Michigan on Friday.
“The thing is, federal law supersedes state law. Federal law is coming for you,” Warren said. “They're coming for us all — and how do we know? Because they've already started moving.”
Mr Trump is boasted repeatedly About his role in the U.S. Supreme Court's Ace Attorney Roe vs. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion for nearly 50 years.And since repeal, Republicans have repeatedly asked for Pass a nationwide abortion ban.
Conservative organizations and activist groups aligned with Mr. Trump are also developing far-reaching plans. blueprintThe plan, known as “Project 2025,” would use virtually every weapon, tool, and agency of the federal government to attack access to abortion, banning abortion pills without actually enacting any new laws. They have revealed plans to criminalize the crime.
Anti-abortion groups also want Republicans to reinstate enforcement of the 1873 Comstock Act, which prohibits the mailing of anything “designed, modified, or intended for the purpose of procuring an abortion,” as a way to ban medication abortions nationwide. It shows intention. .
Read broadly, the Comstock Act would not only ban medication abortions, it would block shipments of medical supplies used in clinics, potentially leading to a complete ban on abortions in all 50 states.
“It's not on my watch.”
Warren stopped by a coffee shop in Royal Oak on Friday, sandwiched between a morning rally with voters in Lansing and an afternoon rally at a steelworkers union store in Southfield, where she met a large crowd. conveyed a similar message to local workers.
“I'm here because Joe Biden is fighting for access to abortion, and I'm fighting for Joe Biden,” she said. “I'm fighting for Joe Biden because Joe Biden is fighting to lower costs for his family. Joe Biden is fighting to strengthen our unions. Joe Biden is fighting to save our democracy.”
The Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank that spearheaded Project 2025, also Long-standing, stubborn anti-IVF voices. And while President Trump now claims to be a “strong supporter” of IVF, his administration has collaborated with far-right conservatives who liken IVF to murder.
Warren said she believed that if Republicans regained a majority in the Senate, they would go beyond banning abortion to restricting in vitro fertilization, contraception and other care. And she expects President Trump to enact such restrictions into law if he returns to the Oval Office.
On the other hand, Mr. Biden Signed several executive orders to protect access to abortion (including medical abortion) and strengthen access to contraception.he has also repeated He called on Congress to restore lost federal protections. egg turned over.
“Donald Trump is directly responsible for stripping away the Constitution.” [abortion] It's a right guaranteed to half of the people in this country,” Warren said. “That's Donald Trump's legacy and that's why I'm here to fight. Joe Biden is taking action and we know him by his actions.”
He added, “I'm coming to Michigan to listen to you again. It's not on my watch.”
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