Critics are calling out moderators of the Democratic presidential primary debates for not asking any questions about abortion, despite the Supreme Court's current consideration of “the highest-stakes abortion case in a generation” and the many recently passed state bills curtailing abortion access.
The March 6 CNN Democratic presidential debate was the latest to omit any questions about abortion, despite the multitude of pressing reproductive rights issues that moderators could have asked candidates about. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on March 2 for Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, dubbed the “highest-stakes abortion case in a generation,” which has the potential to effectively close “more than 75% of Texas abortion facilities and deter new ones from opening.” On March 3, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a Louisiana law that “would leave the state with only one abortion clinic.” The Guttmacher Institute reported in 2015 that in the prior five years, states “enacted nearly as many new abortion restrictions” as they had “in the previous 15 years.”
Many abortion rights advocates, including NARAL Pro-Choice America and RH Reality Check, implored outlets to ask the Democratic candidates about abortion leading up to the debates. Even anti-choice groups, including the group Susan B. Anthony List, encouraged moderators to ask Democratic candidates about abortion. The outreach spurred a social media campaign, with thousands of tweets highlighting the lack of abortion questions throughout the debates and urging moderators to #AskAboutAbortion:
Women in clinic-scarce states are Googling instructions on how to do abortions at home, but no questions tonight. https://t.co/HZ7oTAoI5E
-- Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) March 7, 2016
That's a wrap. 7 debates. Still 0 questions about abortion. #DemDebate #AskAbout Abortion.
-- NARAL (@NARAL) March 7, 2016
Through 6 debates, moderators have yet to #AskAboutAbortion. 7th time is the charm? Maybe? #DemDebate https://t.co/fIsdYQeEHd
-- Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) March 7, 2016
So wait, #DemDebate still didn't #AskAboutAbortion even tho
Wednesday, 7 hours at #SCOTUS, rallying to #KeepClinicsOpen
Still no?
Cool.-- Robin Jones Kerr (@RobinJonesKerr) March 7, 2016
7 #DemDebates and still 0 questions asked about abortion. #askaboutabortion
-- UltraViolet (@UltraViolet) March 7, 2016
#askaboutabortion tonight. #DemDebate
-- Erica Tremblay (@EricaTremblay) March 7, 2016
Dear @andersoncooper, #AskAboutAbortion at the dem debate! Voters deserve to hear & learn more.
-- Maureen Shaw (@MaureenShaw) March 6, 2016
Commercial break...& still nothing on #reprorights. Here's 6 Q's @AndersonCooper should #AskAboutAbortion: https://t.co/7qhtk2NcPx #DemDebate
-- Planned Parenthood (@PPact) March 7, 2016
YES, THIS. #AskAboutAbortion #DemDebate https://t.co/97dWqozpJB
-- Feminist Majority (@FemMajority) March 7, 2016
Over 1 million US women have abortions every year. And guess what - they vote! #askaboutabortion #DemDebate
-- Steph Herold (@StephHerold) March 7, 2016
They still didn't #AskAboutAbortion--so read & find out what's at stake for #reprorights in this election: https://t.co/siqF04aMV4 #DemDebate
-- Planned Parenthood (@PPact) March 7, 2016
DIY abortions on the rise means lives are at stake. No one can afford to have candidates miss chance to #AskAboutAbortion #DemDebate
-- Liz Skoski (@lizskoski) March 7, 2016
So now making it through a full SEVEN debates without bothering to #askaboutabortion. We want to know the candidates' plans! #DemDebate
-- Robyn Swirling (@RSwirling) March 7, 2016
How.
How, between a domestic terrorism attack, SCOTUS case, so much more...
How have we not managed to #AskAboutAbortion in a #DemDebate?!-- Katie Hegarty (@HegartyKatie) March 7, 2016
Critics have been vocal about moderators' failure to ask any questions about abortion in previous Democratic debates:
5 #DemDebate 0 abortion questions. #askaboutabortion on Sunday. I laid out how and why in @Cosmopolitan https://t.co/FbLQkUrhix
-- ilyse hogue (@ilyseh) March 5, 2016
It's time we heard debate moderators #AskAboutAbortion. It's not enuf that “our side agrees” https://t.co/4Uz1Ow2X8O#StopTheSham #EndStigma
-- Katie Klabusich (@Katie_Speak) March 2, 2016
my contribution to #AskAboutAbortion https://t.co/XinWruGLtD
-- Samantha Lachman (@SamLachman) February 12, 2016
MT @prochoiceca: MT @NARAL: WELP. yet another #DemDebate and we still need to #AskAboutAbortion. pic.twitter.com/NXohnoS3Sr Pls RT
-- Laura Newman (@lauranewmanny) February 12, 2016
Voters are urging Democratic Debate moderators to #AskAboutAbortion https://t.co/QOfqgoCiQK
-- HP LatinoVoices (@LatinoVoices) February 12, 2016
Another debate, another missed opportunity to #AskAboutAbortion
-- Ally Boguhn (@AllyBoguhn) February 12, 2016