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Why Abortion Wasn’t a Hot Topic in the Democratic Debates
Twenty candidates sparred over the economy, immigration, healthcare, and racism during the 2-night Democratic debate. Candidates vied to highlight their differences in approaches and establish why they are uniquely positioned to beat President Trump.
On the first night, Julian Castro tried to take down Beto O’Rourke. The second night was livelier with Kamala Harris targeting former Vice President Joe Biden and Marianne Williamson trying to shoot down everyone’s plans with the power of love.
Through the clamor of candidates talking over one another, Kamala Harris unified the crowd when she said, “America does not want to witness a food fight. They want to know how we’re going to put food on their table.”
But there’s one issue they don’t fight over – abortion. Yet, it was barely mentioned in either debate night.
This is for one simple reason — there’s nary a shadow of difference between the candidates’ positions. As evidenced by Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund Forum last Saturday, the Democratic candidates are in lockstep.
Planned Parenthood’s party in South Carolina one week ago saw 20 Democratic presidential candidates show up. One after the other they lined up to kiss Planned Parenthood’s blood-soaked ring and promised to do its bidding. After all, the abortion provider will lavish millions upon millions of dollars in campaign contributions on the eventual nominee. This dog and pony show reveals just how powerful Planned Parenthood has become. With an unparalleled influence, it controls the Left’s abortion narrative and agenda.
For example, every one of the 20 Democratic presidential candidates who took the stage at Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund Forum swore allegiance to protecting a woman’s “right” to terminate her baby’s life in the womb. Overall, the candidates fell in line behind three main goals.
Every one of the 20 Democratic presidential candidates who took the stage at Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund Forum swore allegiance to protecting a woman’s “right” to terminate her baby’s life in the womb.
First, repeal the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal money being used to pay for abortions. Dumping the Hyde Amendment will make sure Planned Parenthood stays fully funded, sending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into its coffers. New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio was blunt: “Can we just be clear? If you’re a Democrat, you’re against the Hyde amendment. Period. Period.”
Joe Biden recently came under fire for flip-flopping on his stance on the Hyde Amendment, but he again cowered on stage before Planned Parenthood and the Left and made plain he no longer supports it. He knows that if he becomes the nominee, he’ll never have their full support — or their money — without aligning with their dictates. That’s why he now promises to champion “sexual and reproductive healthcare” by eliminating the Hyde Amendment and reversing all the changes put into place by the Trump administration.
Which brings us to goal number two: eliminate the Trump administration’s so-called Title X gag rule. Simply put, this “gag rule” forbids federal funding for programs where abortion is a method of planning, forbids doctors and family planning professionals from providing patients with pro-abortion materials, protects the religious liberties of doctors, nurses and other professionals who disagree with abortion on moral grounds, and requires physical and financial separation between where family planning advice is dispensed and where abortions are performed . Gov. Hickenlooper told the crowd he would personally oversee a “magnificent expansion” of Title X funding for family planning, meaning funding abortions nationwide.
Third, Democrats would move to codify Roe v. Wade. Some candidates promised to use the federal government’s power to keep states from protecting life. Mayor Pete Buttigieg would outright block states from implementing their own restrictions on abortion. California Sen. Kamala Harris promised to create a federal system of “preclearance” that would mandate that any new state-level abortion restrictions be subject to federal review by the Department of Justice before being allowed to take effect.
Elizabeth Warren declared, “It’s time to go on offense with Roe v. Wade.” Her cavalier comments reflect the months-long push by Democrats in states like New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Virginia, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and Washington to pass legislation expanding abortion access, some even allowing abortion up to birth! Several have been successful, but thank God some haven’t.
All of this goes to show the days of Democratic support for policies that make abortion “safe, legal and rare” are long gone. The new mantra for Planned Parenthood and abortion-supporting Democrats is the outrageous hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion.
The health of the unborn is being ignored in favor of what they call “sexual and reproductive health.” Planned Parenthood claims that “because of systemic inequities, many patients who rely on Title X for their health care needs are people of color, LGBTQ people, and people in rural areas — all of whom already face significant barriers to accessing health care.” This claim tries to turn the argument into one about race, sexual orientation, income equality, and geography but distracts from the issue at hand — the life of an unborn human baby.
The Left has shown the power of coalescing around a common goal. Pro-life Americans must follow that example and rally around our shared conviction that the rights of the unborn are universal human rights. More than ever we must unify to make social and political change for the sake of those who cannot yet speak for themselves.
Abortion will be a — maybe THE — defining issue of the 2020 presidential election. For every American who values life, the time is now to stand together and oppose Planned Parenthood and any political candidate who pays fealty to its anti-life agenda.
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