Opinion: A Vote for Joe Biden is a Vote for Planned Parenthood

The pro-life movement, which staunchly believes that a successful abortion requires the murder of an unborn human, has shown glimpses of steady growth under the Trump administration. President Trump was also the first sitting U.S. president to attend the March for Life, a prominent annual pro-life event attended by tens of thousands of people. There, he gave a speech in support of “defending the right of every child, born and unborn, to fulfill their God-given potential.”

Typically, Republicans  lean toward the pro-life movement, while Democrats have more pro-choice stances.  Former senator and Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee in the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election, is an unusual case when it comes to traditional liberal beliefs on abortion, however.

In the past, he has not voted completely or consistently in support of the pro-choice platform. In 1973, then-Senator of Delaware, Biden claimed the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade went “too far.” In 1977, he voted against allowing Medicaid-funded abortions, with exceptions for victims of rape, incest or if the life of the mother were in jeopardy. In 1983, he voted to prevent federal employees from obtaining abortions through their health insurance.

In the current presidential election cycle, Biden’s opinions have shifted, as he is caught in a party that is rapidly moving further left at a rate faster than he can keep up with. As has been typical with the 2020 Biden campaign, he is defined by those around him. He worked with Democratic Socialist and Democratic presidential opponent Bernie Sanders on a Biden-Sanders joint task force that pushed Biden’s policies further left. His pick for vice president, California Senator Kamala Harris, was a defining moment in his campaign, showing Biden’s shift toward the more liberal wing of the Democratic Party. 

Although Joe Biden’s past voting record was not in support of the typical Democrat voting for pro-choice, his beliefs have shifted to light support. He endorses putting the Roe v. Wade decision into official federal law. He has spoken at a Planned Parenthood-hosted forum and was endorsed by Planned Parenthood as the presidential candidate. After criticism by fellow Democrats, he began to support recalling the Hyde Amendment. The Hyde Amendment currently prevents the use of federal funds for abortion except to save the life of the mother or if the pregnancy comes about from incest or rape. 

In addition, Biden’s VP pick Kamala Harris has consistently been outspoken about her stance on abortion. Planned Parenthood gave her a 100% approval rating, and she voted against the Born Alive Act in February of this year, which would have required doctors and medical professionals to give life-saving treatment to babies who survived failed abortion attempts. 

A Joe Biden presidency would eliminate the growth of the pro-life movement because he is no longer pro-life — if he ever was — and his running mate has shown that she does not see all human life as valuable.

Although Biden will not inherently fight for pro-choice legislation, a Joe Biden presidency also implies that the Democratic Party could gain control of both the House and Senate. This hypothetical Democrat-led Congress would undoubtedly produce pro-abortion legislation that Biden would be pressured to sign into law. The people around him would push him to lean further left into support of abortion because he has surrounded himself with too many far left and pro-choice voices to still support the pro-life movement.

A Biden presidency would be a disaster for the pro-life movement, not because of what Biden as president himself would do, but because of what those around him would do. 

Keaton Browder is an Opinion Writer.