'Lives are on the line': Pro-lifers visit over 3 million homes in battleground states
Despite concerns about former President Donald Trump's stance on abortion, pro-life volunteers have visited over 3 million homes in battleground states so far in 2024, hoping to mobilize voters in what they believe is the "most pivotal election on abortion to date."
The field team with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Women Speak Out will visit 1 million more homes in battleground states by election day, which organizers call "our largest ground game effort to date." With the help of voter programs and SBA's partners, they hope to reach 10 million voters in eight key states, including Michigan, Arizona, Georgia, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Ohio.
Kelsey Pritchard, director of state public affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, described the canvassers as a "passionate" group of people of varying age groups, including many young adults.
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"They understand that lives are on the line and that we can't afford to have a Harris-Walz victory and have the Democrats take the Senate," Pritchard explained.
Canvassers are primarily speaking with persuadable voters and pro-life voters who do not show up to the polls every election. The field team tells voters that the Democrats' abortion agenda does not include gestational limits, and many Democratic lawmakers oppose protections for infants who survive an abortion, Pritchard said.
"We see a lot of people change their minds about how they're going to vote in the presidential election and in Senate elections," she added. "So we're just energizing those pro-life voters to show up on election day, vote early, and talk to those middle-ground voters who aren't always aware of how extreme the Democrats have become on abortion."
While the Democratic Party doesn't shy away from voicing its support for legalized abortion, prominent pro-life leaders have expressed concern about former President Trump's stance on abortion throughout the 2024 presidential race.
Last month, Trump seemed to imply that he would vote for an amendment to create a right to abortion in Florida. His campaign later clarified that he intended to vote "No" on the ballot initiative but stressed that he didn't support laws like Florida's that ban abortion past six weeks of gestation or earlier.
While the former president has taken credit for appointing three U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, Trump has stated that he believes it's up to the states to determine their own abortion laws. As Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and other pro-life activists advocate for a national 15-week abortion ban, Trump has said he would oppose any effort to enact federal abortion bans if Republicans are able to maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
His comments have resulted in some pro-lifers expressing hesitance about voting for the former president.
"I would say that we're very focused on defeating [Vice President] Kamala Harris and the Democrats because if Kamala is elected, it's very clear what she's going to do at the national level," Pritchard said. "We are going to get more late-term abortions, more pro-lifers locked up in jail. She's going to stop women from having a choice if she has her way in harming pregnancy resource centers or stopping their ability to operate at all."
The activist highlighted the vice president's record on abortion, such as her support for the Reproductive FACT Act in 2015 during her time as California's attorney general. The law, declared unconstitutional in 2018 by the U.S. Supreme Court, required pregnancy resource centers to advertise abortion to their clients.
Harris has also called for restoring Roe, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The presidential hopeful and former California attorney general has repeatedly condemned the court for overturning the decision in June 2022, a ruling that restored regulatory authority over abortion to the states.
During the Democratic National Convention last month, Harris promised that, as president, she would "proudly sign" a bill from Congress to "restore reproductive freedom."
Pritchard said that SBA Pro-Life America will continue to advocate for a national 15-week abortion ban, something that she noted will put the United States in line with most European countries. The organization also believes in furthering protections for the unborn at the state level, with Pritchard stressing that abortion is both a state and national issue.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
