Why Won't President Biden Utter the Word 'Abortion'?

Reproductive justice advocates are pressuring the new administration to stop dancing around the topic of abortion access

- DANIELLE CAMPOAMOR

Less than eight hours after Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, the administration fielded its first question regarding abortion. Owen Jensen, a reporter for Catholic TV network EWTN, asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki about "two big concerns for pro-life Americans" the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding, such as Medicaid, from covering abortion services, and the Mexico City policy, which withholds U.S. government funding from clinics overseas that offer or make referrals for abortion care. It was an anticipatory moment for the nearly one in four women (as well as trans men and nonbinary people) who have abortions, as well as abortion providers, clinicians and advocates. It was a chance for the Biden-Harris administration to set the tone and make good to the over 81 million people who voted them into office.

And they failed.

Psaki side-stepped the question, saying the administration would have more to say on the issue before administering a disclaimer of sorts. "I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic and somebody who attends church regularly," she said. "He started his day attending church with his family this morning, but I don't have anything more for you on that."