By James J. Devine
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. marked the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade this year with a familiar refrain: a call for federal protections for reproductive rights.
These are noble words—but where was his urgency during his 36 years in Congress before the Supreme Court gutted abortion access in Dobbs v. Jackson?
Pallone, first elected in 1988, had decades to codify Roe into law. Democrats controlled Congress and the White House multiple times during his tenure—including under Clinton in 1993-1995 and Obama in 2009-2011—yet Pallone and his colleagues failed to act.
Instead, they allowed reproductive rights to dangle by the thread of judicial precedent, even as Republicans stacked the courts with anti-choice extremists.
Now, after the fall of Roe, Pallone and other longtime Democrats are suddenly vocal champions of abortion rights.
Their belated outrage raises an uncomfortable question: Did they wait for a crisis because fundraising off the issue was more profitable than solving it?
Over the last 30 years, politicians—including Pallone—have raised hundreds of millions in campaign cash by treating abortion as a rallying cry rather than a legislative priority.
Democratic campaigns and PACs have hauled in $1.2 billion since 1990 using abortion rights as a fundraising tool, per OpenSecrets.
Pallone himself has collected over $500,000 from pro-choice groups since 2010, yet never made reproductive rights a signature legislative fight.
This transactional approach to women’s autonomy kept donations flowing while real protections languished.
Now, with Roe gone, Pallone and others demand action—but where was the urgency when they had the power to prevent this disaster?
‘Too little, too late’ could sum up the Democratic establishment’s record on several issues, including the economic class war waged against American workers and the effort to combat climate catastrophe.
New Jersey has long been a safe haven for abortion access, thanks to state laws—not Pallone’s leadership.
If he had fought as hard in Congress as he does in press releases, we might not be in this mess.
It’s time to stop applauding politicians who talk about protecting rights while failing to secure them.
Pallone’s sudden fervor for reproductive freedom is welcome—but after 36 years, voters deserve more than speeches. They deserve action.
The truth is clear: If Democrats like Pallone had treated abortion rights as a governing priority rather than a fundraising tool, Roe might still stand today.