San Diego County Democratic Woman’s Club – Resolution relative to reproductive rights and justice

At the August 21, 2017 the club discussed if the Democratic party should endorse anti-abortion/anti-choice/pro-life candidates? Should abortion be a litmus test?

Here is a draft resolution that will be voted on at our September 19, 2017 meeting. Please review and provide comments by email to [email protected].

WHEREAS, Some leaders of the Democratic Party, the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) have publicly indicated that support for abortion rights should not be a litmus test for the endorsement of Democratic candidates and elected officials; and

WHEREAS Women are the backbone of the Democratic party when it comes to both votes and volunteered labor, and 69% of Americans believe Roe v. Wade should not be overturned, including 84% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans; and

WHEREAS, women’s bodily autonomy is a non-negotiable human right just as it is for men, and reproductive justice demands that all women and families should have the ability to parent their children safely, with the support and freedom to fully participate in the socio-economic lives of their local and broader community without hindrance from institutionalized structural barriers such as unaffordable childcare, school to prison pipelines, and environmental health hazards that disproportionately affect communities of color; and

Whereas, reproductive rights are essential to ensure gender equity, and establish women’s economic security and ability to participate in the workforce, and because policies limiting access to family planning and abortion care disproportionately impact low-income women and women of color, reproductive justice is inseparable from economic and racial justice; now

Therefore be it Resolved that the San Diego County Democratic Woman’s Club, recognizing that abortion is a common health decision that will be made by one in three American women in their lifetime, and that making the procedure illegal will result only in the deaths of more women, rather than a reduction in the abortion rate, calls on the San Diego Central Committee and the California Democratic Party to reaffirm its commitment to reproductive justice and to make a public announcement that it will endorse only those candidates who support policies that affirm the same, including access to safe, legal, affordable abortions for all women regardless of economic status; and be it further Resolved, That California Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman transmit a resolution memorializing this position to the DNC, DCCC, and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Thanks to Sue Alderson (President of the Vista Democratic Club), Andrea Beth Damsky (Vice President, San Diego Progressive Democratic Club), and Marilyn Riley (East Area Caucus of the San Diego County Democratic Party) for bringing this issue to our attention through the Council of Clubs and thanks to our E-Board members Dr Becca Fielding-Miller, Ramla Sahid and Emily Bonner for wording the above resolution.