Rep. Cori Bush calls out Biden for not saying the word 'abortion' enough in public

• Democratic Rep. Cori Bush called out Biden for his reluctance to publicly say the word "abortion."
• "I do think that he should say it more," the Missouri congresswoman told HuffPost.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush called out President Joe Biden for his reluctance to publicly say the word "abortion" during his time in office.

"I do think that he should say it more," the Missouri congresswoman said in an interview with HuffPost that was published on Wednesday.

"People are looking to what the president does," said Bush, who previously revealed that she got an abortion as a teen after being raped.

She added: "A lot of times that holds more weight than what people are hearing come out of Congress. Because folks may not always know their Congress member's name. ... But everybody knows who their president is."

Since becoming president in January 2021, Biden has barely said the word "abortion" in public speaking engagements, sparking criticism from abortion rights advocates.

Biden has used the word "abortion" in some written statements, as well as two tweets, but in public remarks, he has strayed away from the word and instead opted for phrases like "access to health care" and "protecting the rights of women," CNN has previously reported.

In two separate January 2021 and January 2022 statements by Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the 48th and 49th anniversaries of Roe v. Wade, the landmark US ruling that granted women the constitutional right to an abortion, the word "abortion" was notably omitted.

Earlier this month, Biden put out a statement that included the word "abortion" in response to the leaked draft opinion that shows the US Supreme Court is poised to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision.

Biden publicly said the word "abortion" out loud for the first time in his presidency last week while speaking to reporters, HuffPost reported.