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ICYMI: Mini Timmaraju and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Discuss Why Abortion is an Economic Issue and How Michiganders Advanced Reproductive Freedom
ICYMI: Mini Timmaraju and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Discuss Why Abortion is an Economic Issue and How Michiganders Advanced Reproductive Freedom
This week, Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju sat down with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for My Body. My Pod. to talk about the landscape of abortion access in Michigan and how abortion access is tied to affordability challenges.
Gov. Whitmer shared why abortion access cannot be separated from the economic issues affecting everyday families, saying, “I think the most consequential economic decision any of us makes over the course of our lifetime is whether and when to bear a child. And so you can’t divest that most important decision from the person that is going to bear the consequences of it. And that’s why I think [abortion] is absolutely tied with the economy. If a woman can access the healthcare she needs, she can succeed, she can thrive, she can participate, and if she can’t, we all pay a price.”
This is backed up by recent research from Reproductive Freedom for All that proves abortion access and economic stability are inseparable for voters heading into 2026.
Gov. Whitmer emphasized that her work to protect and expand reproductive freedom was powered by the Michigan voters who overwhelmingly passed Proposition 3 in 2022, which codified the right to abortion care. From fighting Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban to expanding protections for abortion, contraception, IVF, and other reproductive healthcare through the Reproductive Health Act, Gov. Whitmer’s commitment to advancing reproductive freedom in the state has been unwavering.
Gov. Whitmer also highlighted how her personal life experiences shaped her commitment to reproductive freedom: “We were having this debate on the Senate floor, I had never shared [my story] publicly, but it became very clear to me that my Republican colleagues in the Michigan Senate were hell-bent on creating yet another barrier between women and healthcare. They didn’t hold a single hearing. They wouldn’t listen to women, much less our medical providers, and were pushing forward with this legislation. And so I felt like they needed to see the face of one of the millions of Michiganders that they were going to hurt with their legislation, and I shared my story.”
As November’s midterm elections approach, and with abortion on the ballot in states across the country, Timmaraju underscored the importance of electing more champions like Gov. Whitmer who will make reproductive freedom a priority and spearhead efforts to protect and expand access to care nationwide.
Watch the full episode here.
For over 55 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.
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