Booker promises to create government office devoted to abortion issues

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2020 Democrats attend abortion ban protest

Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, and Kirsten Gillibrand among Democratic presidential candidates who joined demonstrators on the steps of the Supreme Court to protest restrictive abortion laws.

Presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., vowed Wednesday to create an entire government office devoted to abortion and reproductive rights on his first day in office if he wins.

A statement released by Booker's campaign announced his plans for the White House Office of Reproductive Freedom. This comes in the wake of several states passing laws restricting abortion, with Alabama banning them outright, save for limited health-based exceptions.

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"Republican-controlled state legislatures across the country are mounting a coordinated attack on abortion access and reproductive rights," Booker said in a statement, vowing to "immediately and decisively take executive action" to counter the recent measures from pro-life lawmakers.

Booker said he would reverse Trump administration policies against government-funded clinics referring patients for abortions, and a prohibition on federal funding for foreign non-governmental organizations that support or perform abortions.

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Booker's plans for the Office of Reproductive Freedom include dealing with issues such as "access to transportation, paid leave, maternal health care, and education." He intends to introduce a change to educational programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy and providing information on teens' "full range of health care options," instead of focusing on abstinence.

"My goal with these actions isn’t just to undo the damage the Trump administration and Republican state legislatures and governors have caused, but to affirmatively advance reproductive rights and expand access to reproductive care for all," Booker said.