By now we have all seen the election results. Donald Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. While no one can say with certainty exactly what the next four years will look like, we want to address the worries many have as we enter this new era.
Abortion is Still Legal in Michigan
First and most importantly, we want to confirm that abortion is still legal here in Michigan. No matter where you are reading from, Donald Trump’s election does not change the law overnight. To our patients, please know we are still providing abortion care at all three of our metro Detroit clinics.
If you need to schedule an appointment for your abortion, please contact us here.
Addressing Common Questions
As we move forward, many are nervous about what Donald Trump’s election means for abortion access in Michigan.
Q: Will there be a national abortion ban?
A: Republicans will likely try to veil a national abortion ban as a “minimum standard” or “limit.” Make no mistake, these word games are intended to mislead voters into supporting abortion bans. Donald Trump has previously expressed support for a national abortion ban at 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Ultimately, whether a bill to ban abortion nationally makes it to Donald Trump’s desk will depend on such a bill gaining enough support to pass both the House and Senate.
Q: Will a national ban affect Michigan?
A: Yes. A federal law would supersede the Reproductive Freedom for All Amendment of our state constitution. Bans or restrictions passed at the federal level could subvert the will of Michigan voters and impact access to abortion in Michigan.
Q: What about the abortion pill?
The abortion pill has been under attack since the Supreme Court case challenging its approval by the FDA earlier this year. There are several avenues for Donald Trump’s administration to limit or ban access to the abortion pill, without needing to pass a national abortion ban.
First is the Comstock Act, a 150-year old obscenity law that bans the mailing of abortion medication, tools used in abortion, and possibly even birth control. Donald Trump could direct his administration to enforce the Comstock Act in order to ban the shipping of abortion pills by mail.
Secondly, Donald Trump could remove the head of the FDA and replace them with an anti-abortion official. He would then be able to direct the FDA to revoke approval of the abortion pill. This effectively would ban the abortion pill nationally.
We Won’t Stop Fighting
Northland Family Planning is not only dedicated to providing our patients with quality, compassionate abortion care. We are determined to fight for our patients’ legal right to reproductive freedom. Our doors are open at all three of our Detroit area abortion clinics – and we intend to keep them open.