Reducing abortions: The time is ripe to break old stalemate

Abortion has been the grand battle in our nation’s culture wars for more than three decades. After years of polarization, a new consensus has emerged that can unite Democrats and Republicans behind a comprehensive abortion reduction agenda that addresses the connections between poverty and abortion. President-elect Barack Obama is well-positioned to help push this effort as a leader focused on pragmatic solutions and finding common ground.

Many people of faith who voted for President-elect Obama believe deeply in the sacredness of all human life and see abortion as a profound moral tragedy. They are eager to partner with his administration to break new ground and forge real solutions to prevent abortions. They also recognize that all aspects of society — government, religious communities and the private sector — should be doing more to provide creative solutions in addressing the root causes of abortion.

The time is ripe to break the abortion stalemate. A post-election poll conducted by Public Religion Research, and sponsored by Faith in Public Life, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Sojourners, found that the vast majority of voters — including 81 percent of Catholics and 83 percent of all voters — want elected officials to reduce abortions by working together to prevent unintended pregnancies, expand adoption opportunities and increase economic support for vulnerable women.

A national study commissioned by Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good found that abortion rates are significantly lower in states that provide robust economic assistance to low-income families, quality child care for working mothers and in places where employment figures are strong.

Let’s be clear. It’s a mistake to think about abortion and social justice as competing priorities. Abortion is a social justice issue that must be understood within the context of strategies to combat poverty and to create a truly pro-family economy that respects life. Anyone who doubts that making sure workers earn living wages or that families have health care won’t also help prevent abortions should remember that the abortion rate for women living in poverty is more than four times higher than for women earning 300 percent above the poverty line.

While the president-elect supports a woman’s right to choose an abortion, his commitment to poverty reduction, affordable health care and addressing the root causes of abortion is encouraging. On the campaign trail, Obama spoke often about the moral dimensions of abortion and emphasized the need to bring elected officials on both sides of this divisive issue together around shared goals like preventing unintended pregnancies.

For the first time, the Democratic platform includes specific language that references the essential role social and economic supports play in reducing abortion. Obama has also reached out in an authentic way to Catholics, evangelicals and other religious Americans even on polarizing issues. This bodes well for continued dialogue, and the potential for new coalitions and fresh solutions.

A comprehensive abortion prevention strategy is required if we hope to make real progress reducing the number of abortions. This approach must address the economic and social issues that data clearly shows reduce the abortion rate both in the U.S. and globally.

Consideration of these policies has been missing from both sides of the abortion debate. This is beginning to change. Several bills in Congress now, including the Pregnant Women’s Support Act, seek to address these realities. Reducing the abortion rate by 95 percent in 10 years is an essential and achievable goal.

Research tells us what works. Voters are looking for a new path forward. The question is, do we have the political and moral will to make it happen? People of faith have a particular responsibility to both collaborate with and challenge the new administration. It’s long past time for all of us to move from rhetoric and division to results.

• Alexia Kelley is the Executive Director and co-founder of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good.