DFA says DCCC’s “profoundly disturbing” comments against abortion rights will hurt Democrats
Yesterday, in an interview with THE HILL, DCCC Chair Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) said that House Democrats would not withhold funds from candidates who oppose abortion rights.
Democracy for America has long held that abortion rights are a core component of any populist progressive political agenda and a requirement in any comprehensive fight against economic and racial inequity.
Today, DFA's Executive Director, Charles Chamberlain, responded to Luján's disturbing comments regarding the DCCC's support for abortion rights:
"It is profoundly disturbing to hear the person tasked with helping Democrats take back the House suggest that our party can credibly talk about confronting economic inequity while turning a blind eye to candidates who want to limit women's right to control their own bodies. Abortion rights are inextricably tied to the fight against economic and racial inequity, full stop, and until all leaders of our party fully understand that we're going to keep losing.
"Democrats retook Congress in 2006 because Gov. Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy ensured that the party was equipped to compete across the country and strong opposition to the Iraq war mobilized millions to send Republicans packing. We won in spite of the handful of anti-choice corporatists who ran as Democrats, not because of them. And, years later, it was many of those same corporate and anti-choice Democrats who worked to limit health care reform and water down efforts to restrain Wall Street greed.
"If the DCCC is willing to throw choice out for the sake of political expediency, what other core Democratic values are next? Democrats can and should work to find and support candidates who reflect their districts, but trying to build a congressional majority by selectively ignoring key components in the fight against economic and racial inequity, like abortion rights, is morally incoherent and politically stupid.” -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America