Joe Biden's middle-of-the-road stance on abortion rights could be a problem for Democratic voters

Joe Biden.
(Image credit: Scott Eisen/Getty Images)

Former Vice President Joe Biden, an early frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, has held an evolving stance on abortion rights for most of his career. A devout Roman Catholic, Biden has said in the past that he is personally opposed to abortion, but does not believe he should impose his religious beliefs on others. Therefore, he supports upholding Roe v. Wade, which he reconfirmed on Tuesday — perhaps a crucial thing to tell Democratic voters as several Republican-led states have passed strict abortion laws in recent weeks, sparking outrage from those who oppose them.

Biden's campaign team also confirmed to NBC News, however, that the candidate still supports the Hyde Amendment, which bars federal funding for abortions unless the life of the mother is in danger, or in the cases of rape and incest. This differentiates Biden from his Democratic competition, NBC News reports, who are more staunchly pro-choice — every female Senator running for president has come out in favor of overturning Hyde, and no other candidate has openly supported keeping it intact.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.