President Biden Addresses Abortion Debate During Tampa Visit, What Next Is!

Tampa, Florida — Traveling to Florida on Tuesday, President Joe Biden and his team hope to use the state’s tight abortion law to their advantage as Democrats view reproductive rights as a motivating issue for voters.

By linking the abortion restrictions to the previous president Donald Trump, Democrats are seeking to use the issue to mobilize moderate voters, especially women, ahead of November.

As evidence of the issues motivating citizens to cast ballots, Biden’s campaign frequently points to Democratic victories in the 2022 midterm elections and off-year elections following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

And they have refocused on Florida in the wake of two verdicts from the state Supreme Court this year: one that allowed for the state to outlaw abortions for up to six weeks, and another that gave Floridians an opportunity to include access to abortion in the state constitution come November. In an effort to increase voter turnout and maybe win the state for Biden, Biden campaign officials and Democratic strategists hope to elevate the issue in the state.

As one of the most restrictive states in the nation to acquire an abortion, Florida was made such by a bill passed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis last year that outlawed most abortions in the state after six weeks. Following the recent overturning of decades of state legal precedent that protected abortion up until the second trimester of pregnancy by the state Supreme Court, the ban will take effect on May 1.

The campaign Biden, which claims that the incident is part of a larger threat to healthcare and individual liberties, is using Tuesday’s trip as part of a larger plan. The first joint campaign event by Vice President Kamala Harris and Vice President Joe Biden this election year was centered on reproductive rights, demonstrating how important an issue abortion is to the campaign.

SEE MORE – Senate Protocol Breach: Arizona Democrats Challenge Abortion Law Blockade 

“Trump will use all of his resources to enact a federal abortion ban. Throughout his tenure in office, Trump has deprived women of their rights. Michael Tyler, the director of communications for Biden’s campaign, told reporters, “His history of mistreating women is renowned for being consistent, spanning decades, and including his personal life, his business career, and his time as an elected official.

A 160-year-old statute that forbids all abortions save those performed when “it is necessary to save” a pregnant woman’s life is anticipated to be brought back to life by Biden during the event on Tuesday.

Rep. Kamala Harris, a national speaker on reproductive rights, referred to stringent abortion restrictions as “Trump abortion bans” during a recent visit to Arizona. Monday, when Trump was seated in court, she persisted in her pitch in the battleground state of Wisconsin, pushing the “split screen” strategy of the Biden campaign.

In the past twenty years, Trump’s views on abortion have changed; most recently, he claimed that state laws on the issue should be left up to their legislative authority. However, as a citizen of Florida, Trump will also have the chance to directly influence the outcome of the Thanksgiving abortion referendum. How he will vote has not been disclosed by his advisors.

In Florida, where Republicans have won the last two presidential elections and the state has moved to the right, Democrats have had difficulty winning over voters. A larger margin than his 5-point disadvantage nationally, Biden lost Florida adults 65 and older to Trump by 10 points in 2020.

SEE MORE – Indiana AG Rokita Advocates for Public Abortion Records, Faces Opposition

Yet there are some indications that things might change in his favor throughout the campaign: Ballot items for 2024 in the state might stir Biden’s supporters because they include measures to legalize marijuana for recreational use and modify the state constitution to provide more access to abortions.

“Presidency Obama won the state in 2012, the last time there was a ballot question on abortion. Consequently, Tyler added, “The Biden-Harris campaign can afford to invest in many paths to victory, including Florida, because of our enormous financial advantage.”

Despite their public denials, Democrats in this state still recognize that winning this cycle and making Trump spend more in Florida to maintain his advantage here will determine how successful they are.

Biden berated Republican attempts to cut entitlements on his most recent visit to Tampa in early 2023, contrasting himself with state GOP Sen. Rick Scott, who said that federal laws, such as Social Security and Medicare, should be terminated every five years. Of all states combined, Florida has the largest senior population.

In a recent campaign letter, Biden laid out his investments in Florida and argued that he has an opening there. Among other themes, the memo included abortion rights, Medicare, and social security.

Late in January, Biden expressed his belief that he could win the Sunshine State to a gathering of donors at a high-end fundraiser in South Florida.

A mere 20 miles from the Mar-a-Lago estate owned by his predecessor, he declared on Tuesday, “I think we can win Florida.”