Elizabeth Warren says ban on federal funding for abortion has been 'wrong for a long time': 'It's just discrimination'

Todd Garrin

Sen. Elizabeth Warren was asked, “Is Joe Biden wrong?” regarding his stance on upholding a ban on federal funding for abortion, and her answer was clear. “Yes,” she responded.

Her comments came at a recent town hall hosted by MSNBC’s Chris Hayes. Hayes pressed the senator further. “Why is he wrong?” he asked. Warren went on to paint a clear picture for viewers of how the ban, known as the Hyde Amendment, disproportionally affects women who can’t afford medical care.

“Women of means will still have access to abortions,” she explained. “Who won’t will be poor women. It will be working women and women who can’t afford to take off three days from work and very young women.”

Warren didn’t stop there. “It will be women who have been raped and women who have been molested by someone in their own family. We do not pass laws that take away that freedom from the women who are most vulnerable,” she said. The studio audience applauded in agreement with the senator’s explanation.

Hayes challenged Warren, asking, “Are there things where you think, substantively, that’s probably the right thing to do but probably 70 percent of the public doesn’t like it? Or, that might be a good policy but it’s going to be a very tough sell in Pennsylvania?” The senator had a clear answer for that, too.

“This is what leadership is about,” she said. “You really do work through what you believe is right and you get out there and most of America isn’t with you then you talk about it.” She added, “You make the arguments and you listen because maybe you don’t have it right but that’s the whole point. You start with what you believe is right and then you get out there and fight for it.”

Many viewers on Twitter also agreed with Warren’s position:

One commenter issued their own dire assessment:

Other viewers felt Warren was off-base with her stance:

Star of “The Handmaid’s Tale” says comparisons drawn between the show and anti-abortion laws are “apt”:

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