In a recently released policy platform, the Republican Party has stated its support for states establishing fetal personhood through the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. While some media outlets suggested that the GOP had softened its stance on abortion, legal experts are cautioning that this is not the case. They argue that the party is attempting to conceal its agenda for a national abortion ban by using different language.

The 16-page "Make America Great Again" policy platform, unveiled ahead of the national convention, asserts that the 14th Amendment guarantees life and liberty for all individuals. According to the GOP agenda, this implies that states are free to pass laws protecting the rights of fetuses.

However, critics, including Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, argue that this approach is merely a disguised national abortion ban. Kolbi-Molinas warns that the GOP is misleading the public by suggesting that they are leaving the issue up to the states, despite knowing the unpopularity of banning abortion and other forms of reproductive healthcare.

Legal experts agree that the GOP's focus on the 14th Amendment is key to understanding their true intentions. If fetuses were declared persons under the 14th Amendment, states would be obligated to ban abortion. This would have far-reaching consequences, including the potential banning of birth control, IVF, and other reproductive healthcare services.

David S. Cohen, a law professor at Drexel Kline's School of Law, supports this view, stating that granting constitutional rights to embryos and fetuses would effectively impose a national abortion ban. Cohen emphasizes that this ban, unlike a statutory one, would be much more challenging to reverse, requiring a constitutional amendment or a different composition of the Supreme Court.

Anti-abortion advocates are pushing for this interpretation of the 14th Amendment, despite its lack of historical context. Cohen explains that the founding framers were unaware of embryology and fertilization, making it unlikely that an originalist interpretation would support this argument.

Critics warn that if this agenda is implemented, it wouldn't just be abortion that would be affected. IVF procedures could be threatened or banned, contraception would become suspect, and even miscarriages and stillbirths could be subject to investigation.

While media coverage may have suggested a shift in the GOP's position on abortion, legal experts and advocates stress the need for voters to see through the cleverly worded platform. They argue that the proposed fetal personhood through the 14th Amendment is a deliberate strategy to advance a national abortion ban and restrict reproductive healthcare for women.

As the debate surrounding reproductive rights continues, experts urge the public to stay informed and critically examine the true intentions behind political rhetoric.