By Dylan Matthews
My esteemed co-blogger Nick asks whether '90s-era Democratic platforms contained the same commitment to abortion rights "regardless of ability to pay" that the 2008 and 2004 platforms do. This clause is important, because as Miriam over at Feministing notes, the Hyde Amendment (which bans federal funds from paying for abortions) means that reproductive rights are often reserved to privileged, rich white women.
Taking a look at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 platforms, it's clear that this phrase is nothing new, and, indeed, has been used verbatim in past platforms. The 1996 and 2000 platforms both contain the sentence, "The Democratic Party stands behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, and regardless of ability to pay," a paraphrase of the 1992 platform's line, "Democrats stand behind the right of every woman to choose, consistent with Roe v. Wade, regardless of ability to pay." In addition, the 1992 platform includes under the subhead of "Affordable Health Care" a promise to "provide for the full range of reproductive choice -- education, counseling, access to contraceptives, and the right to a safe, legal abortion."
So while the 2008 committee deserves kudos for resisting anti-choice efforts to add an abortion reduction plank, the section on ability to pay simply echoes past platforms. Now, if national Democrats would actually act on this section of the platform and work to repeal the Hyde Amendment, then we'd be making real progress.
