Republicans and Abortion

Since I was 18 years old, I have always voted for the pro-life candidate: George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party nominee in ’08), and Mitt Romney. Believing I had voted based on firm convictions, I always left the voting booth feeling I had done the right thing. But, the truth of the matter is that nothing ever really changed. Both Presidents Bush appointed solid, pro-life, conservative justices to the bench, but abortion is still legal. President George W. Bush did sign legislation banning partial-birth abortions, but abortion is still legal.

Several of Republican nominees for the Presidency found a new position on abortion in the GOP primaries.

George H. W. Bush, the first person for whom I ever voted, was pro-abortion until he was selected as President Reagan’s running mate.

John McCain, although he consistently voted to curb abortion, said, “I’d love to see a point where Roe vs. Wade is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe vs. Wade, which would then force women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”

Mitt Romney firmly held a pro-abortion stance before seeking the Presidency:

• In his campaign to unseat Senator Ted Kennedy in 1994, Romney said: “I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years, it should be sustained and supported. And I sustain and support that law and support the right of a woman to make that choice” In that campaign, Romney further said, “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country.”
• In his campaign for Massachusetts governor in 2002, Romney said during a debate, “I will preserve and protect a woman’s right to choose and am devoted and dedicated to honoring my word in that regard.”

However, when he began to seek the Republican nomination for President, Romney said, “I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. I support the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine.”

Donald Trump said many years ago, “I believe it is a personal decision that should be left to the women and their doctors.”

Because nothing really changes, I have come to the conclusion that the Republican Party likes to talk a good talk but then do little once they have been elected. The candidates realize they need conservative Christians to win the race, and they give us a bone with their pro-life rhetoric. I know I cannot judge the hearts of these men, but I wonder if perhaps they really don’t want abortion banned so that they will be able to throw us a bone in the next election and say that they are working to ban abortion.

In Presidential elections, nominations to the Supreme Court often becomes the central issue as far as the abortion debate goes. There is currently a vacancy on the high court, and many of my fellow believers are nervous about the appointment Hillary Clinton would make. Yes, in my view, it would be very tragic for Secretary Clinton to make liberal appointments to the Supreme Court; I want a court as conservative as possible.

However, the Constitution of the United States give Congress the power of “judicial stripping.” When judicial stripping is included in a bill, the courts have no jurisdiction whatsoever. In Article III, Section 2, the Constitution says, “In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make.” Congress could pass a law and the President could sign a law ending abortion in this country; add a “judicial stripping” clause and the courts could not overturn the bill. Judicial stripping is not at all an uncommon practice.

I’m fully aware that such a bill would be difficult to pass in Congress, but when is the last time these “pro-life” elected officials tried? What bills have been introduced to ban abortion once and for all? President George W. Bush had a Republican congress for a good part of his tenure; how many times did you hear President Bush pushing for a bill—with judicial stripping—that would ban abortion? All talk, not action.

In my opinion, it’s time for those of us who firmly believe in the sanctity of life, demand that politicians do what they promise and end abortion! Lives are at stake. We must demand action.

God bless!