The Trump Administration Is Coming for Your Access to Contraception, Abortion, and… Dildos?
Feb 13, 2025
auto_awesome
Dive into the tangled web of the Comstock Act and its surprising potential to restrict reproductive health access. The conversation highlights how outdated laws could allow the Trump administration to ban abortion without Congress. A deep look at Attorney General Pam Bondi’s controversial stance reveals the absurdities of the situation. The podcast also tackles the intersection of religion and reproductive rights, examining landmark rulings and their implications for personal health choices. It's a wild ride from dildos to the complexities of modern legal battles!
The revival of the Comstock Act under Attorney General Pam Bondi could restrict access to abortion and contraception without Congressional approval.
Calls for nationwide consistency in regulating abortion pills reflect a push for stricter bans that threaten state protections for reproductive rights.
Deep dives
The Comstock Act and Its Implications
The Comstock Act, a 19th-century law, criminalizes the mailing of obscene materials, including abortion-related items. While it has largely fallen into disuse, recent discussions suggest it could be used to enforce modern anti-abortion policies. This actual enforcement of the Act could lead to significant restrictions on access to abortion pills and contraception, effectively creating a de facto abortion ban. Experts fear that, with the wrong Attorney General in office, the long-dormant statute could be revived to combat shipping pills between states and prosecute providers.
Pam Bondi and the Changing Landscape
Pam Bondi, recently appointed as Attorney General, is poised to influence the trajectory of reproductive rights significantly. In her early days in office, she has shown intentions to investigate companies that do not comply with conservative policies around DEI and even revive the federal death penalty. Bondi's approach has raised concerns among legal experts about potential partisan politicization of the Department of Justice. Her willingness to work alongside figures like Louisiana's Governor Landry might signal a readiness to enforce the Comstock Act actively against reproductive healthcare providers.
National Consistency vs. Abortion Rights
A push for 'nationwide consistency' in regulating abortion pills has emerged, particularly from conservative figures in states like Louisiana. This concept is viewed with skepticism, as it often translates to enforcing stricter bans that undermine states protecting reproductive rights. The conversation highlights the brewing conflict between states that uphold abortion rights and states attempting to impose their anti-abortion agendas. Legal experts argue that these calls for consistency could mask a broader aim to suppress reproductive healthcare rather than genuinely seek cooperation among states.
No but actually, there’s a dusty old law on the books that could unravel reproductive health access for years to come—the Comstock Act. And it’s just waiting for someone like the recently-confirmed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to enforce it.
On today’s episode of Boom! Lawyered, Imani and Jess revisit how the Trump administration could effectively ban abortion without input from Congress—all thanks to the 19th century anti-obscenity law. The pair break down how Comstock became a strong tool for the anti-choice movement and how aggressive enforcement by Attorney General Pam Bondi could upend access to contraception and even dildos.
Rewire News Group is a nonprofit media organization, which means that episodes like this one are only made possible with the support of listeners like you! If you can, please join our team by donating here.
And sign up for The Fallout, a weekly newsletter written by Jess that’s exclusively dedicated to covering every aspect of this unprecedented moment.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode