ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the long struggle between right-to-life and pro-choice groups over abortion rights in the United States. It discusses the political and legal positions policy makers and jurists take concerning abortion rights. The chapter explores some of the new areas of controversy over abortion rights and the responsibilities of medical professionals regarding abortion counseling. The struggle over abortion in the United States is rooted in the issue of rights—the woman's right to reproductive freedom or the fetus's right to life. Abortion rights entered into the health care reform debate surrounding the Affordable Care Act as pro-life Democrats joined conservative Republicans to demand that the bill not allow government-subsidized insurance to pay for abortions. In last-minute discussions with Democrats, President Barack Obama pledged that he would sign an executive order banning any federal support for abortion, a move that helped swing pro-life members of the House of Representatives to vote for the bill.
