First Lady Jill Biden discusses helping friend who had abortion in the 1960s

First Lady Jill Biden attended a fundraiser for Senator Patty Murray’s re-election in Seattle where she spoke about her own personal experience helping a friend recover from an abortion, which she had in the 1960s. The procedure was illegal at that time.

Jill Biden said that, as her friend could not lawfully get an abortion, she had to use a loophole to get it done. She said that her friend underwent a psychiatric evaluation which could her mentally unfit to raise a child, according to the Seattle Times.

“I visited her in the hospital and then cried all the way home,” she said.

Jill Biden said that her mom and dad both voted Republican, but they “didn’t talk about it over dinner.”

She said that when her friend was eventually discharged from hospital, she was extremely reluctant to go home. Jill Biden recalled asking her own mom if her friend could stay with them for a while.

“Of course, she can,” her mom said. 

“She never told a soul. We never spoke about it again. Secrecy, shame, silence, danger, even death. That shaped that time for so many women,” Jill Biden went onto say.

Jill Biden did not name the friend in question. She also spoke of her shock about The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V Wade the ramifications this could have for women nationwide.

“I thought of all the girls and women, like my friend, whose education, careers and future are dependent on the ability to choose when they have children,” she said.

Jill Biden went on to urge the crowd to re-elect Murray.

Murray made her own speech and explained the importance of Democrats retaining the house and also electing 52 senators, which is 2 more than they currently have.

“We have seen cruel abortion bans all over our country, forcing women to stay pregnant no matter their circumstances,” Murray said. “My opponent actually celebrated the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

Tiffany Smiley, who is running against Murray, has described herself as “pro-life” and believes that abortion laws should be decided by each state, and not the federal government.