The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra is hopeful Arizonans will vote to broaden access to abortion in this year’s election. Secretary Becerra visited Arizona Thursday to speak about reproductive rights.
The visit was one of several stops Becerra plans to make as part of a "National Reproductive Health for All Tour." The event at Planned Parenthood Arizona's Phoenix office came just ahead of the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which returned abortion law making powers to states.
Becerra said the Biden administration has been pursuing legal pathways to restoring reproductive rights in the time since. And he said he’s hopeful voters will continue to side with abortion rights, as they have in six other states since the 2022 ruling.
“As we continue to see every state where the issue comes up for a vote, where the issue is put before the people to decide, they go the right way. So I think most of us are willing to put our hopes with the people," Becerra said.
Arizona currently allows abortions up to 15 weeks of gestation. But abortion rights advocates are gathering signatures for a potential 2024 ballot measure that would amend the state Constitution to expand abortion access in the state to the point of fetal viability — about 24 weeks. It would also allow exceptions beyond that when health risks are involved.
Abortion has been the focus of visits to Arizona from several prominent Democrats this election year, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark. Vice President Kamala Harris visited Arizona to speak about abortion twice this spring and plans to return to Phoenix for another reproductive rights event on Monday.
