In a recent New York Times editorial, columnist David Brooks argues that politicians should agree to a federal 20-week abortion ban to win over votes, while failing to acknowledge that abortion bans are placeholders for overturning Roe v. Wade. State legislatures across the country have adopted nearly 400 laws since 2010 making abortion harder to get. States like North Dakota have already attempted banning abortion at six weeks, thwarted only by federal courts blocking such bans as blatantly unconstitutional.

While out of sync with almost seven in 10 Americans, committed anti-abortion voters and politicians want nothing less than to overturn Roe. Brooks thinks that compromise is fine—since only “roughly 21 states would outlaw abortion.” Not only does he disregard women’s fundamental rights in this calculation, he overlooks the collateral damage that would result from walking back an ironclad commitment to defending Roe. The women who would bear the brunt would be young or low-income, women of color, or those who otherwise can’t take days off from work, arrange for child care, travel, and pay for all of this, plus the abortion, out-of-pocket. Senate bill S.2311 also threatened doctors with prosecution, criminalizing a protected women’s health procedure and creating an atmosphere of fear. As a global organization, we have seen what can happen when abortion is criminalized and women are entangled in the criminal justice system as a result of poor pregnancy outcomes or for decisions that they have the legal right to make.

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