AOC says 'it's so out of touch to imply that abortion isn't an economic issue' after reproductive rights were at the top of voters' minds in the midterms

• Reproductive rights got big wins in the midterms as voters chose to protect abortion access in five states.
• As the GOP sought to block abortions, AOC said it's "out of touch" to consider the issue separate from the economy.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to be clear — reproductive issues are economic issues.

At the midterm elections, abortion was a key concern for voters after the bombshell Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade this summer. In the five states where the issue was on the ballot, voters in California, Vermont, Michigan, Montana, and Kentucky supported measures protecting the right to choose.

But while Republicans were hoping voters would be driven to vote for their party based on economic issues like high inflation, Ocasio-Cortez said abortion falls right into the economic concerns Americans are having, writing on Twitter on Thursday that it is "so out to touch to imply that abortion isn't an economic issue."

"Few things impact one's finances more than a having a child! When a politician is trying to force you to have a baby in a country w/ 0 guaranteed healthcare or childcare, abortion is a HUGE economic issue," she wrote.

The push to protect abortion access comes after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, eliminating the nationwide guarantee to abortions and effectively leaving the matter up to the states. As Insider previously reported, the economic consequences of losing reproductive rights could be dire — in states like Texas, where abortion is banned after six weeks, women have had to travel out of state for the procedure, and costs of flying, along with childcare for those who are already mothers, can be significant.

A study from University of California, San Francisco also found that women denied abortions faced "worse financial, health and family outcomes," and those who were turned away and still had to deliver a child "experienced an increase in household poverty lasting at least four years relative to those who received an abortion," according to the study's fact sheet.

Additionally, the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that "state-level abortion restrictions cost state economies $105 billion dollars per year — by reducing labor force participation and earnings levels and increasing turnover and time off from work among women ages 15 to 44 years."

Even in Republican and swing states, it was clear protecting the right to an abortion was a major concern for voters. In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman defeated Mehmet Oz, who previously said abortion decisions should be made by "women, doctors, and local political leaders," and voters in Kentucky rejected a proposal that would have updated the state constitution to say abortion is not protected.

In terms of what's next for reproductive rights, Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept that codifying Roe v. Wade should still be on the Democrats' agenda if they can manage to take over a slim majority.

"I think we try again on a $15 minimum wage. I think we codify Roe v. Wade, I think we go for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, I think we go all out on the litany of legislation that was stalled by [Sens. Joe] Manchin and [Kyrsten] Sinema," she said "And I think it's a very unique opportunity for us to do that in a very big way."