Our Charter and Platform 2026 Kitchen Table Talks

Kitchen Table Topics - Reproductive Justice 2026

Democrats Abroad’s Committee for Platform Planning Process Online (C3PO) wants to know what issues matter to you as a Democrat living abroad. Your input can help shape DA’s Platform. Run a Kitchen Table Talk - event in a box here - and make your voice heard! Scroll down to see optional details on this topic.  

Don't see what you are looking for? You can discuss any topic of interest! Just record the conversation feedback on our Post-Event Feedback Intake Form.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  • Do you support affordable access to science-based, choice-based family planning, fertility assistance, and safe abortion?
  • How do you think the Democratic Party should proceed in order to restore and protect reproductive rights?
  • Would you support new federal legislation creating nationwide protections for abortion access? How should the party organize around this effort?
  • Would you support federal and state funding for Planned Parenthood and other reproductive healthcare and counseling services?
  • Would you support funding for doctors who travel across state lines to provide reproductive healthcare services in areas with limited access?
  • Do you think efforts should focus on revising state constitutions to protect abortion rights?
  • Should Democrats prioritize state elections in order to elect legislators who support reproductive rights protections?
  • What ideas do you have to help restore and protect reproductive freedom in the United States?

BACKGROUND

  • The right to abortion, established by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade (1973) based largely on interpretations of the 9th and 14th Amendments, was overturned in June 2022 by the Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization;
  • Following Dobbs, authority over abortion laws was largely returned to the states, resulting in dramatically different abortion laws and access across the country;
  • As of 2026, many states have enacted total or near-total abortion bans, while others have enacted protections for abortion access and reproductive healthcare;
  • Medication abortion has become a major focus of legal and political battles, including efforts by some Republican-led states and advocacy groups to restrict access, interstate prescribing, and telehealth distribution;
  • Some states have pursued legal actions involving healthcare providers, reproductive healthcare assistance networks, and abortion-related travel support, raising concerns regarding privacy, interstate travel, due process, and criminalization;
  • Access to reproductive healthcare is often shaped by income, geography, transportation, childcare availability, and healthcare provider access, creating disproportionate barriers for lower-income individuals and marginalized communities;
  • Women are increasingly traveling across state lines to obtain reproductive healthcare services, while many individuals may lack the financial resources, transportation, childcare, or time off work needed to do so;
  • Reproductive rights discussions increasingly include broader issues such as contraception access, fertility treatments including IVF, maternal healthcare, bodily autonomy, and gender equality;
  • Americans living abroad often experience different healthcare systems and reproductive healthcare policies in their host countries, providing unique perspectives on healthcare access and reproductive freedom;

This is a huge issue for all women. 

REFERENCES