ABSTRACT
The National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) PAC was formed on August 5, 1977, to elect a pro-choice majority in Congress. NARAL (the national organization that formed the PAC) was concerned that abortion rights, guaranteed by the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, would be eroded by legislative action in Congress or the states. After Roe, pro-life activists had succeeded in passing legislation limiting abortion rights through spousal consent, twenty-four-hour waiting periods, and informed consent. Although almost all of these laws were subsequently struck down by the United States Supreme Court as antithetical to the spirit of Roe, leaders of NARAL realized that no guarantee existed to ensure that the Court would always protect this vital decision. Making contributions to supporters of reproductive choice was another avenue through which its preservation could be pursued.
