Last night, President Biden did not mention abortion at all, and of course in the Republican response, Senator Scott mentioned Biden's "plan" on abortion. Conservatives never shy away from talking about abortion, and the lack of reframing from Democrats is a huge problem. https://twitter.com/RBraceySherman/status/1387579897086988288

Biden had a chance during his #JointAddress to talk about the attacks on abortion—from state bans before we know we're pregnant and efforts to criminalize us or anyone who helps us or provides care to direct challenges to the FDA's relaxing of their medically unnecessary rules.

He did not mention it at all. He had a chance to redefine the conversation and say that access to abortion is critical to healthcare—that everyone loves someone who had an abortion—and tell all of us who need abortions that he has our backs.

He did not do it.

For someone who considers himself pro-choice, last night's speech was anything but. He went 100 days without even uttering the word abortion, even when issuing commemorations on the anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision and rescinding colonialist anti-abortion policies globally.

His silence speaks volumes to how his administration is going to protect access to abortion—it's not a priority. This is worrisome considering we're one of many court cases away from the Supreme Court gutting access more than is already pretty non-existent.

He didn't address it.

In the Republican response, on the other hand, Senator Scott brought up abortion:
"The president is also abandoning principles he held for decades. Now, he says your tax dollars should fund abortions. He’s laying groundwork to pack the Supreme Court. This is not common ground."

What he's referring to is Biden's (rightful) change in stance to oppose the Hyde Amendment, a discriminatory policy that bans federal funding of abortion, which means that people enrolled in Medicaid, among many others, cannot use their health insurance to pay for an abortion.

He framed it as "your tax dollars should fund abortions." @MotherJones explained how "tax dollars" is a racist austerity dog whistle ( https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/taxpayer-dollars-the-origins-of-austeritys-racist-catchphrase/). It signals people of color taking what white people think we don't deserve. People who have abortions pay taxes too Tim.

So now, Republicans have used the same racist talking points for the same racist policy to deny Black and Brown people the ability to afford their constitutionally protected healthcare and Democrats haven't said a thing about why the American people should support repealing Hyde.

70% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal, and a majority believe that people should not be denied abortion care based on where their health insurance comes from. It's actually really popular—if you talk about and explain it, like every other issue.

Why doesn't he?

This isn't new: The Democratic Party has largely sidelined abortion talk. There was no direct mentions of abortion during the DNC, only a few references, incl VP Harris' “injustice in reproductive & maternal health care”. There were no speakers who talked about the party's plan.

Democrats had a chance to frame the conversation and talk about our values, but they didn't. Republicans talked about abortion all day long at their convention. They had a speaker incoherently, inaccurately, and disgustingly describe abortion procedures to a captive audience.

For @nytimes, @lauren_kelley explained why this is a problem: "That omission was striking at a time when reproductive rights in America are more precarious than they’ve been in decades." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/opinion/rnc-abortion-republican-party.html

"The nation’s already uneven levels of abortion access have gotten worse during the coronavirus pandemic, and the situation could soon deteriorate more...Justice John Roberts signaled that he’d be open to dealing a fatal blow to abortion rights if he gets the right case."

We're changing the conversation on police brutality, militarization, and funding, childcare as infrastructure, fighting for $15 an hour and a union, citizenship for immigrants, voting, and the need for legal protections for queer and trans folks by talking about values and plans.

Access to abortion deserves the same—and we can do it, but you'd have to mention the word abortion at least once in your first 100 days, Biden. You'd have to have your press secretary talk about your pro-choice values and why everyone deserves access to reproductive healthcare.

I am not sure who keeps telling Biden that we'll win abortion access by refusing to say the word or talking about our values around it or by stigmatizing people who have abortions, but whoever it is, STOP. We went through this during the Obama years and we can't do it again.

One more thing: I just watched @JamaalBowmanNY's @WorkingFamilies Party response and it also does not mention abortion or reproductive justice. There's a passing mention to maternal mortality, but no plan to address it. Progressives must speak on abortion.

The majority of people who have abortions are people of color. The majority are already parenting. The majority are living below or barely above the federal poverty level. The overwhelming majority have a difficult time paying for an abortion. @WorkingFamilies should champion us.

What will it take to get progressives to talk about our values when it comes to abortion access and reproductive justice. You cannot say that you stand for folks of color, families, and working people and say nothing about a medical procedure that shapes our families and futures.

I would have loved to see @JamaalBowmanNY @WorkingFamilies talk about this—particularly because it's something Biden did not speak on and Bowman highlighted issues he felt like Biden didn't talk about or go far enough on. Abortion and reproductive justice are critical.

I'm happy to have convos with whomever at @WorkingFamilies on this, but I truly do expect better from progressives. People who have abortions—1 in four pregnant folks, people of color, our base—deserve better. We deserve progressives who center this issue and come with a plan.