The evolution of the Democrats’ Shout Your Abortion Party platform
From “safe, legal and rare” to all-trimester abortion with no limits in just over two decades, this is definitely not your parents’ Democratic Party
On Monday, the first night of the Democratic National Abortion Convention, delegates ratified a platform that explicitly mentions abortion 13 times – with some 1,100 total words relating to abortion and so-called “reproductive freedom” – making it the most pro-abortion platform in party history. The platform was approved by voice vote; the call of “all opposed, say no” was met with silence.
Today we take a close look at how dramatically the party line on abortion has changed over the last quarter-century (historical party platforms are available online from The American Presidency Project).
Not only does the 2024 platform stand out for its volume of words, but also for the growing opacity of its language on abortion. More effort is required to translate what’s in it. Our team’s analysis:
Promises “national legislation” to mandate all-trimester abortion in every state and enshrining abortion with no limits in the U.S. Constitution.
Calls for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment to force taxpayers to pay for elective abortions, even painful late-term abortions.
Touts the Biden-Harris administration’s expansion of dangerous abortion drugs through the mail and to retail pharmacies; its illegal taxpayer-funded abortions in veterans hospitals; its efforts to force ER doctors to carry out abortions; and its shielding of abortion trafficking across state lines.
Repeatedly attacks President Trump and the Supreme Court for the Dobbs decision and disparages the pro-life laws of 24 states that protect 200,000+ lives annually.
As our president Marjorie Dannenfelser observed, it is just as telling what isn’t mentioned: No acknowledgement of this country’s epidemic of coerced and unwanted abortions. No clarity on the Democrats’ refusal to support any limits on abortion. And notably, there is no reference to life-affirming pregnancy resource centers that heroically continue to serve millions of women and families a year in the face of both physical attacks and political/legal attacks on their right to exist – probably because such attacks are deeply unpopular.
Platform history: what happened?
2000: “Personal responsibility” and respect for differing views
Number of times abortion is mentioned: 3
Number of words related to abortion and percentage of total platform: 337 (1.4%)
Key policies and phrases:
“Right to choose” is a fundamental, individual, constitutional liberty
Support for Equal Rights Amendment
“Our goal is to make abortion less necessary and more rare…the abortion rate is dropping”
“We call on all Americans to take personal responsibility”
“We respect the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue”
“Members of our party have deeply held and sometimes differing views on issues of personal conscience like abortion…We view this diversity of views as a source of strength”
“Tolerance is a virtue”
Civility and mutual respect
2004: “Safe, legal and rare”
Number of times abortion is mentioned: 1
Number of words related to abortion and percentage of total platform: 60 (0.34%)
Key policies and phrases:
“Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare”
Support for adoption
2008: “Reducing the need” for abortions (but no longer “rare”)
Number of times abortion is mentioned: 2
Number of words related to abortion and percentage of total platform: 205 (0.79%)
Key policies and phrases:
“We will repeal the global gag rule [Mexico City policy] and reinstate funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)”
“The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right”
“The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right”
Health care and education “reduce the need for abortions”
2012: More stakeholders involved in abortion decision
Number of times abortion is mentioned: 4
Number of words related to abortion and percentage of total platform: 228 (0.86%)
Key policies and phrases:
“We are the party of inclusion and respect differences of perspective and belief”
“There is no conflict between supporting faith-based institutions and respecting our Constitution”
“Women have a right to control their reproductive choices”
“Democrats will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood”
Support for ERA
“Safe and legal” (but not rare)
Abortion is “between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy”
“Reduce the need for abortions”
Touts Pres. Obama’s repeal of Mexico City policy
2016: Repeal the Hyde Amendment
Number of times abortion is mentioned: 6
Number of words related to abortion and percentage of total platform: 466 (1.8%)
Key policies and phrases:
Abortion “must be part of comprehensive maternal and women's health care and included as part of America's global health programming”
Repeal the Hyde Amendment, Mexico City Policy & Helms Amendment
Adoption & social support services
Calls for unspecified “reproductive health services” in the Veterans Administration
Support for ERA
Appoint pro-abortion Supreme Court justices
“Stand up for Planned Parenthood”
2020: Codify and fund, not reduce
Number of times abortion is mentioned: 5
Number of words related to abortion and percentage of total platform: 514 (1.2%)
Key policies and phrases:
Repeal Mexico City policy
Restore federal (taxpayer) funding for Planned Parenthood
“Protect and codify the right to reproductive freedom”
Abortion drugs (“medication”) mentioned for first time
References to reducing abortions gone
Expand taxpayer funding of UN Population Fund
As recently as 2006, Joe Biden himself was on the record opposing taxpayer funding of abortion, flip-flopping during his 2019 presidential run. Even as recently as this year, he would still protest, “I don’t want abortion on demand” – a source of friction with Democrats’ far-Left base. Between the passing of the baton to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and the new 2024 platform, it is crystal clear that the Democratic Party of “safe, legal and rare” abortion is no more – it is officially the Shout Your Abortion Party.