Abortion and Reproductive Health

Who sets abortion law

130 public statements from 2026 candidates · 1 related bill

§1The range of views

Why this matters: A national law could override your state's law in either direction, while leaving it to the states means your options depend on where you live.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Whether Congress should pass one national abortion law for every state, or leave each state to set its own rules, as states have done since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.1

  1. A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
  2. Leave abortion law to each state
  3. A national law limiting abortion (for example, after 15 weeks of pregnancy)

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade (105)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says she would work to pass the Women's Health Protection Act to create a nationwide right to provide and receive reproductive care, including abortion, that would override state bans and waiting periods.2
  • Mike McGuire CA-1
    His campaign website says he will defend abortion rights and that federal leaders should make reproductive freedom the law of the land, and his rural plan calls for permanent federal protections for abortion care, contraception and other reproductive health care in all 50 states.3,4
  • Ami Bera CA-3
    His campaign website says he voted for the Women's Health Protection Act to write the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law, and that women should be able to make their own reproductive health decisions.5
  • Richard Pan CA-6
    His campaign website says that in Congress he will work to write the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.6
  • Mai Vang CA-7
    Her campaign website says she wants federal protections that guarantee the right to choose in every state, and that she will work to write abortion rights into federal law and oppose any national ban.7
  • Mark DeSaulnier CA-10
    His campaign website says he voted for the Women's Health Protection Act to create a federal right to abortion access and is working to write reproductive rights into federal law.8
  • Connie Chan CA-11
    Her campaign website says she would restore the federal protections of Roe v. Wade, guarantee access to abortion nationwide and oppose any federal abortion ban.9
  • Scott Wiener CA-11
    His campaign website says he would write the right to abortion into federal law to restore the rights lost when Roe v. Wade was overturned.10
  • Lateefah Simon CA-12
    Her campaign website says she would work to write into federal law every American's right to reproductive health care, including abortion, and to guarantee access to safe and legal abortion for every woman regardless of where she lives.11,12
  • Melissa Hernandez CA-14
    Her campaign website says she would work to restore reproductive freedom by supporting legislation such as the Women's Health Protection Act.13
  • Kevin Mullin CA-15
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Women's Health Protection Act, which would restore access to abortion throughout the United States.14
  • Sam Liccardo CA-16
    His campaign website says Congress must, at a minimum, bar states from restricting abortion before fetal viability, and supports the Women's Health Protection Act.15
  • Ro Khanna CA-17
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Women's Health Protection Act to write Roe v. Wade into federal law and protect abortion access from state bans.16,17
  • Jim Costa CA-21
    His campaign website says he cosponsors the Women's Health Protection Act, which would write Roe v. Wade into federal law and guarantee access to reproductive care.18
  • Salud Carbajal CA-24
    His campaign website says he is a cosponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act, which would protect the right to an abortion nationwide.19
  • George Whitesides CA-27
    His campaign website says he is a cosponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would codify Roe v. Wade.20
  • Jimmy Gomez CA-34
    His campaign website says he cosponsored and voted for the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would codify Roe v. Wade and ensure a right to abortion nationwide.21,22
  • Dave Min CA-47
    His campaign website says he has sponsored legislation to write Roe v. Wade into federal law.23
  • Marni von Wilpert CA-48
    Her campaign website says she would be a deciding vote to write Roe v. Wade into federal law.24
  • Mike Levin CA-49
    His campaign website says he is an original cosponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act to write Roe v. Wade into law.25
  • John Hickenlooper CO Senate
    His campaign website says he is fighting to restore Roe v. Wade.26
  • Melat Kiros CO-1
    Her platform says the right to abortion should be written into federal law and that reproductive freedom should be made a constitutional right.27
  • Brittany Pettersen CO-7
    Her campaign website says that in Congress she will vote to protect abortion rights for everyone.28
  • Luke Bronin CT-1
    His campaign website says Congress must pass federal protections for abortion access nationwide.29
  • Rosa L. DeLauro CT-3
    Her campaign website says she is leading the effort to write the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.30
  • Jim Himes CT-4
    His campaign website says he opposed efforts to ban abortion at the federal level and is working to enshrine the right to an abortion for every woman in the country.31
  • Jahana Hayes CT-5
    Her campaign website says that since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade she has remained committed to codifying a woman's right to choose.32
  • Sarah McBride DE-AL
    Her campaign website says the Women's Health Protection Act would establish a nationwide legal right to provide and receive abortion care, and that she supports protecting travel across state lines for abortion care.33
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform calls for restoring nationwide abortion access as a federal floor rather than a state option, and supports the Women's Health Protection Act.34,35
  • Bale Dalton FL-7
    His campaign website says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law.36
  • Kimberly Overman FL-12
    Her campaign platform says she supports codifying Roe v. Wade and restoring federal protections for reproductive freedom.37,38
  • Robert People FL-15
    His healthcare plan says he would introduce, cosponsor or vote for federal legislation that protects a woman's right to decide whether to have an abortion.39
  • Matthew Montavon FL-17
    His campaign website says Congress should make sure all women can get and afford birth control, abortion and comprehensive reproductive health care.40
  • Lois Frankel FL-23
    Her campaign website says she is among the lead sponsors of the Women's Health Protection Act, a bill that would guarantee abortion access in all states.41
  • Nicole Locklin FL-26
    Her campaign website says she will fight to restore abortion rights nationwide.42
  • Caitlyn Gegen GA-9
    Her campaign website says she will support legislation like the Women’s Health Protection Act so that no woman has to travel out of state for the care she needs.43
  • Shawn Harris GA-14
    His campaign website says he supports the Women’s Health Protection Act, which it describes as establishing a nationwide right to provide and receive abortion care.44
  • Jill N. Tokuda HI-2
    Her campaign website says she cosponsored the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would codify the right to abortion care.45
  • Josh Turek IA Senate
    His campaign website says he would make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again.46
  • Christina Bohannan IA-1
    Her campaign website says she will fight to put Roe v. Wade back into federal law and restore reproductive freedom.47
  • Lindsay James IA-2
    Her campaign website says she wants to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land and defend a woman's right to make her own medical decisions.48
  • Sarah Trone Garriott IA-3
    Her campaign website says she will work to restore nationwide protections for abortion access.49
  • Jonathan L. Jackson IL-1
    His campaign website says he supports legislation to ensure comprehensive health care access, including the Women's Health Protection Act, which he endorses to safeguard reproductive freedoms.50
  • Donna Miller IL-2
    Her campaign website says that in Congress her focus will be to codify Roe v. Wade and ensure every woman can make her own health care decisions.51
  • Delia Ramirez IL-3
    Her campaign website says that after the Dobbs decision she has supported federal legislation to codify the right to choose into law.52
  • Sean Casten IL-6
    His campaign website lists cosponsoring the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would protect the right to access abortion care throughout the United States.53
  • La Shawn K. Ford IL-7
    His campaign website says he will work to codify Roe v. Wade, and its platform for women says he will codify the right to reproductive healthcare, including abortion and contraception.54,55
  • Melissa L. Bean IL-8
    Her campaign website says she is committed to codifying the rights and protections afforded under Roe v. Wade and defending access to abortion, contraception and IVF nationwide.56
  • Daniel Biss IL-9
    His campaign website says Congress should codify abortion rights and that federal law should guarantee the right to safe, legal abortion in all 50 states.57
  • Bill Foster IL-11
    His campaign website says he is committed to codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade nationally, and that the Women's Health Protection Act, which he helped pass in the House, would enshrine access to safe abortion care and reproductive health care into federal law.58
  • Julie Fortier IL-12
    Her campaign website says she supports codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law to ensure access to safe, legal reproductive services nationwide.59
  • Nikki Budzinski IL-13
    Her campaign website says she will fight to restore the protections granted under Roe v. Wade, and that she has cosponsored legislation to create a statutory right for providers to give abortion care and for patients to receive it, free from bans and medically unnecessary restrictions.60
  • Lauren Underwood IL-14
    Her campaign website says she voted for key legislation to codify Roe and supports women's rights to the full range of reproductive health services, including safe, legal and affordable abortions.61
  • Eric Sorensen IL-17
    His campaign website says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade and has helped introduce legislation to make abortion care accessible nationwide.62
  • Juliana Stratton IL Senate
    Her campaign website says she would restore the abortion protections of Roe v. Wade.63
  • Frank J. Mrvan IN-1
    His campaign website says he supports the codification of Roe v. Wade and is an original cosponsor of the Women's Health Protection Act.64
  • Drew Cox IN-4
    His campaign website says he will fight to codify Roe v. Wade.65
  • J.D. Ford IN-5
    His campaign platform says he would protect a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions by writing Roe v. Wade into federal law.66
  • Sharice L. Davids KS-3
    Her campaign website says she voted for the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says protects abortion rights and access to reproductive health care at the federal level.67
  • Morgan McGarvey KY-3
    His campaign website says he will be a vote to put Roe v. Wade into federal law so that state legislatures cannot take away a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy.68
  • Zach Dembo KY-6
    His campaign website says he would be a vote to codify Roe v. Wade and that he will not let Kentucky's current abortion law become the law of the land nationally.69
  • Lauren Jewett LA-1
    Her campaign website says she will cosponsor the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says codifies Roe v. Wade into federal law.70
  • "Matt" Gromlich LA-4
    His campaign website lists the Women's Health Protection Act of 2025, which it says protects a person's ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy and a provider's ability to provide abortion services, among legislation he will support on day one.71
  • John Deaton MA Senate
    His campaign website says he has supported writing the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law and would vote against a national abortion ban.72
  • Katherine M. Clark MA-5
    Her campaign website lists among her accomplishments leading the House to pass legislation to ensure federal abortion access, protect birth control access and stop political prosecution of doctors and women who cross state lines for healthcare.73
  • Dan Koh MA-6
    His campaign website says he will support legislation, such as the Women's Health Protection Act, that codifies the abortion protections once enforced by Roe v. Wade, so that people can decide about their bodies no matter what state they live in.74
  • Ayanna S. Pressley MA-7
    Her campaign website says she has co-led legislation, passed twice in the House, to protect and restore access to abortion care nationwide.75
  • Bill Keating MA-9
    His campaign website's Accomplishments page lists Congressional Democrats passing bills to codify Roe and protect interstate travel for abortion, and says the Women's Health Protection Act would create a statutory right to provide and receive abortion services and would bar states from restricting abortion care.76
  • Dan Schwartz MD-1
    His campaign website says he would write Roe v. Wade into federal law so that women in every state could get the care that is available in Maryland.77
  • Sarah Elfreth MD-3
    Her campaign website says she is working to write the protections Roe v. Wade once provided into federal law.78
  • April McClain Delaney MD-6
    Her campaign website says she supports codifying Roe v. Wade into law and would cosponsor the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would protect and re-establish abortion rights.79
  • Troy D. Jackson ME Senate
    His campaign website says he would work to make the right to abortion federal law.80
  • Matthew G. Dunlap ME-2
    His campaign website, in a section on a woman's right to choose that treats ending a pregnancy as the woman's own decision, says the Constitution should guarantee safe access to reproductive health care.81
  • William Lawrence MI-7
    His campaign website says he will seek to write the right to choose abortion into federal law.82
  • Donavan McKinney MI-13
    His campaign website says abortion rights must be codified at the federal level.83
  • Abdul El-Sayed MI Senate
    His campaign website says he would write the rights once protected by Roe v. Wade into federal law.84
  • Lydia Christensen MI Senate
    Her campaign website says she would write a right to abortion up to viability into federal law and protect the right to travel for care.85
  • Peggy Flanagan MN Senate
    Her campaign website says she supports passing the Women's Health Protection Act to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade and expand access to abortion in every state.86
  • Matt Little MN-2
    His campaign website says he backs reversing Dobbs and reinstating Roe nationwide.87
  • Ilhan Omar MN-5
    Her campaign website's reproductive freedom page says Congress should write the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law, and its healthcare page says the same.88,89
  • DeVelle L. Jackson MN-5
    It says he supports writing back into federal law the viability-based rules associated with Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.90
  • Erik Osberg MN-7
    His Reproductive Rights priority says he wants to restore federal protections for reproductive rights.91
  • Wesley Bell MO-1
    His campaign website says he supports putting abortion rights into federal law so that people in every state can get care.92
  • Alani Bankhead MT Senate
    Her campaign website says she backs the Women's Health Protection Act to protect abortion access nationwide and a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, and opposes any federal abortion ban.93
  • Seth Bodnar MT Senate
    His campaign website says he supports writing Roe v. Wade into federal law.94
  • Deborah K. Ross NC-2
    Her campaign Women and Families page says she will not stop fighting until the protections of Roe v. Wade are enshrined in law.95
  • Valerie P. Foushee NC-4
    Her campaign website says she is working in Congress to pass legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade, so that state legislatures could no longer pass restrictive abortion laws.96
  • Chuck Hubbard NC-5
    His campaign website says abortion is a medical procedure that should long ago have been written into national law.97
  • Richard N. Ojeda II NC-9
    His campaign website's Ensuring Quality Healthcare page says he would write Roe v. Wade into federal law.98
  • Denise Powell NE-2
    Her campaign website says she is fighting to restore Roe v. Wade into law nationwide.99
  • Chris Pappas NH Senate
    His campaign website says he is fighting to restore and write into law the rights established under Roe and helped pass the Women's Health Protection Act in the House.100
  • Maggie Goodlander NH-2
    Her campaign website says she would push for a federal right to abortion through the Women's Health Protection Act.101
  • Donald Norcross NJ-1
    His campaign website says it is up to lawmakers to codify Roe v. Wade, citing the harm to poor and working-class women from the Supreme Court's decision to overturn it.102
  • Herb Conaway NJ-3
    His campaign website says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade into national law.103
  • Ryan Michael Kelly NJ-3
    His campaign website says he supports strong federal protections for abortion access, and lists protecting reproductive freedom in federal law among his priorities.104
  • Rebecca Bennett NJ-7
    The same page says the right to choose should be restored at the federal level.105
  • Rob Menendez NJ-8
    Its healthcare page lists codifying Roe v. Wade among the things he will fight for and says he cosponsored the Women's Health Protection Act, which it says would codify Roe.106
  • LaMonica R. McIver NJ-10
    Her campaign page on reproductive rights calls for a single national law protecting reproductive rights, so that the protection does not depend on a person's state.107
  • Adam Hamawy NJ-12
    His campaign website says control over one's own body should not depend on where a person lives, and that he supports writing the right to abortion into federal law.108
  • Andres Jinete NJ-12
    His campaign website calls for a law that protects abortion access and bodily autonomy.109
  • Teresa Leger Fernandez NM-3
    Her campaign website says she co-sponsored and voted for federal legislation to codify Roe v. Wade, and that reproductive freedom must be protected for every American.110
  • N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas OK Senate
    Her campaign website says she would fight to restore Roe v. Wade at the federal level and to protect women from prosecution for miscarriage or pregnancy complications.111
  • Curtis Stinnett OK Senate
    His campaign website calls for codifying Roe v. Wade, says he would oppose making abortion illegal, and says he would advocate for women's right to end a pregnancy while working to reduce unintended pregnancies.112
  • Annie Andrews SC Senate
    Her campaign website says she would fight to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade.113
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he supports federal legislation to write Roe v. Wade into law.114,115

Leave abortion law to each state (11)

  • Larry Thompson CA-32
    His campaign website says he is personally against abortion but that it is now for the people and legislatures of each state to decide, and that he does not support a federal law banning it.116,117
  • Christopher Dennison FL-7
    His campaign website says abortion is not a federal question, that it belongs to the states, and that he would not vote to give Washington power over it either way.118
  • Mike Beltran FL-14
    His campaign website says he agrees with the Dobbs decision and thinks each state, rather than Washington bureaucrats, judges or politicians, should set its own policies.119
  • Thomas Laehn IA Senate
    His campaign website says Congress should have no role in regulating abortion and that abortion policy should be left to the states.120
  • Matt Loesby ID Senate
    His campaign website says abortion is not a matter for the federal government and that he would oppose any national standard on it.121
  • Drew Cranmer KS-4
    His campaign website says he supports the Dobbs ruling and the authority of Kansas and every other state to set abortion law through their own legislatures, and that he would oppose any federal legislation to reimpose a national abortion regime, including restoring Roe v. Wade by statute.122
  • Jeremy Todd KY-4
    His campaign website says he supports returning the question of abortion policy to the states.123
  • Scott M. Collier MD-7
    In answers to a 2024 voter guide questionnaire posted on his campaign website, he says Congress should not act to protect abortion rights after the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision, because he believes it is a state's rights issue.124
  • Brad Knott NC-13
    His campaign website says the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision was right to overrule Roe v. Wade and return authority over abortion to the states, and that he supports state laws protecting the unborn.125
  • Anthony DiLorenzo NH-1
    His campaign website says he opposes federal abortion legislation and respects New Hampshire's laws.126
  • Kasie Whitener SC Senate
    Her campaign website says there should be no new federal laws on abortion.127

A national law limiting abortion (for example, after 15 weeks of pregnancy) (2)

  • Austin Scott GA-8
    His official House website lists among the bills he has voted for or co-sponsored the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, a federal 20-week abortion ban, and the Life at Conception Act.128
  • Michelle Fischbach MN-7
    The record page lists co-sponsoring a bill to prohibit abortions once an unborn child's heartbeat is detected, and the issues page counts the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that reversed Roe v. Wade among its wins.129,130

Statements that don't match one option (12)

  • Aisha Wahab CA-14
    Her campaign website, in a civil rights section that cites the rollback of Roe v. Wade, says she would protect reproductive health care nationwide by stopping federal bans and keeping contraception and family planning available.131,132
  • Michael J. Quirk FL-17
    His campaign website says he would vote against a national abortion ban.133
  • Mikel Wein KY-5
    His campaign website says women in many states worry they cannot get the reproductive health care they need and, in its background information, cites Johns Hopkins research on births and infant deaths in 14 states that banned abortion; among its longer-term actions it lists reviving the Women's Health Protection Act of 2021, described there as barring federal restrictions on women's reproductive health care.134
  • Lisa Ballay LA-2
    Her campaign website says reproductive medical decisions belong to a woman in consultation with her physician, not to politicians and not to the federal government.135
  • Maura Healey MA Governor
    Her campaign website says she signed executive orders affirming that emergency abortion care is protected under state law and that Massachusetts would not enforce a national abortion ban if one were enacted.136
  • Rashida Tlaib MI-12
    Her campaign website says she voted for and helped pass House bills meant to guarantee access to reproductive health care nationwide, including bills securing abortion rights, protecting abortion providers and protecting the right to travel to another state for abortion care.137,138
  • Bethany E Mann MO-3
    Her campaign website calls for national standards that would stop what it calls extreme laws from limiting access to medical care, and says she supports the Women's Health Protection Act.139
  • Carl Boyanton MS-4
    His campaign website says he would fight at the federal level for pro-life principles while honoring states’ authority, which it says the Supreme Court affirmed when it overturned Roe v. Wade.140
  • Michael D Eisenhauer MT-2
    His Issues page says the federal government has a role in bringing some consistency across state lines and protecting basic individual rights wherever people live, and that the next Congress will probably need to take up again the regional differences in abortion access.141
  • Eugene F. Douglass NC-2
    His campaign brochure says states should be empowered to curb what it calls eugenics presented as choice, in a proposal that also calls for banning partial-birth abortions it considers unnecessary.142
  • Steven Feldman NC-10
    His campaign website says a balanced abortion policy could include letting different states adopt different regulations based on their residents' views.143
  • Lily Tang Williams NH-2
    Her campaign website says that by overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court returned abortion decisions to the people of each state, and urges respect for the Constitution, the legislative process and the independence of the courts.144

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.