Cuellar Bucks Democrats with Position on Abortion – Leave it to the States

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) is the lone pro-life Democrat in the House of Representatives. It’s a tough year for pro-life Democrats. 

Democrats have nothing to run on but abortion and trashing Donald Trump as a threat to democracy. Abortion has been a winner for Democrats, don’t get me wrong. Democrats have won elections using abortion as their central issue since the Supreme Court ruled on Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Abortion is no longer a federal issue. 

Cuellar is breaking with his party as Team Biden tries to scare voters about abortion. Democrats go so far as to say Trump will put forth a national abortion ban, though he has said he will not. Democrats scare voters by falsely accusing Republicans of wanting to outlaw contraceptives. There is nothing too outlandish for Democrats to say. 

Cuellar boldly says that abortion should be left as a state issue. He told Punchbowl that the Democrat Party should allow differing beliefs on the issue.

“It should be left up to the states,” Cuellar told us. “I’m a big believer in the big tent theory and I think [Democrats] should allow people with different religious beliefs when it comes to that.”

Cuellar does not face a real challenger this cycle. His district safely leans Democrat. He has the support of House Democrat leadership. In the past, his view on abortion spurred Democrat candidates to challenge him in the primary contest. He barely squeaked by in 2022, winning by less than a point. 

DCCC polling shows abortion as a top issue for Democrat voters. Independents are often swayed by the issue, too. House Democrat leadership is reconsidering Florida as a target after the state’s 6-week ban on abortion became an issue. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has instructed Florida Democrats to communicate about protecting abortion rights. 

Texas has strict pro-life legislation. There is a six-week ban and those who perform abortion can face penalties. Some Texas colleagues of Cuellar delivered remarks about his position.

Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) said he respects Cuellar’s personal views but will continue to promote abortion rights across his state.

“[Cuellar’s] position and mine are different, but I will continue to advocate to him why I think his position should change,” Casar told us. “It’s becoming a bigger and bigger issue, as people started telling me how dangerous the abortion ban is in Texas.”

Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) said abortion is going to be a leading issue in Texas due to how the state has responded to the issue.

“They’ve gone way too far on this issue,” Veasey told us. “It is going to be huge.”

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said Cuellar may be one of the last anti-abortion Democrats the party welcomes, especially as the issue continues to dominate the national conversation.

“There’s space [for anti-abortion Democrats], but it’s very small,” Green told us.

It remains to be seen what happens in Texas this election cycle. As a Republican voter in Texas, I’m not convinced that abortion will be a strong enough issue to sway enough independent voters to vote Democrat this time. I could be wrong. I was wrong about the red wave that never materialized in the mid-term election cycle. 

I know Democrats are laser-focused on the issue. They will spend millions of dollars getting their scare tactics out to voters. Kamala Harris visited a Planned Parenthood in a battleground state, a first for a vice president. Democrats consider abortion just a part of life, ironic as that is. Biden’s DOJ refuses to arrest protesters outside of the homes of conservative Supreme Court justices. Biden’s DOJ persecutes pro-life activists. This is Biden’s America.