Early this morning, the Senate confirmed Todd Blanche to serve as U.S. Attorney General under President Trump. Blanche has been clear he plans to use his power as the head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ban access to abortion across the country — even in states where it is currently legally protected.
Blanche’s confirmation follows reports that he privately promised supporters that he would work to make “the Dobbs decision permanent in every single state.” These comments go far beyond promises made at Blanche’s public confirmation hearings in July. and This means that patients everywhere, including in places where state law largely protects access to abortion, could lose access to care. Abortion bans are already killing women in states like Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. With Blanche and anti-abortion extremists hellbent on weaponizing federal agencies to ban abortion, more lives will be lost.
New data from Reproductive Freedom for All and Impact Research finds that Americans across the political spectrum are nearly as opposed to a national abortion ban as they are to middle class tax increases and sweeping cuts to Medicaid. Still,Trump and Republican lawmakers are weaponizing federal agencies to launch deadly new attacks on access to reproductive health care.
In response to Blanche’s confirmation, Gowri Buddiga, Interim Managing Director for Free & Just released the following statement:
“As the nation’s top law enforcement officer, Todd Blanche has openly vowed to use that power to ban abortion. From promising to restrict access to medication abortion through the mail, to gutting protections for patients and providers, Blanche will roll back access to care everywhere even in states where abortion is currently protected. Americans want an Attorney General who defends the rule of law and upholds the integrity of the DOJ. In Blanche, we’re getting an anti-abortion extremist committed to taking away our freedoms, no matter the cost.”
