The Republican Party could adopt its most pro-life platform yet this summer.
Historically, the party has been a champion for the right to life, with its platform recognizing “that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.”
Politico reports the Republican Party is considering an even stronger pro-life platform this summer that would call for an end to taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and a ban on the use of aborted babies’ body parts in research.
The new GOP platform also would condemn the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn a Texas law that required abortion clinics to meet basic health and safety standards, according to the report. It also calls for new Supreme Court judges who will reverse the decision and uphold the right to life for unborn babies, the report states.
These would be additions to the current Republican Party platform, which supports a human life amendment to the Constitution, recognizing unborn babies as human beings with equal rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. It also opposes taxpayer funding for abortions and groups that do abortions. Read the current pro-life platform here.
SUPPORT LIFENEWS! If you like this pro-life article, please help LifeNews.com with a donation!
Billy Valentine, director of government affairs at the Susan B. Anthony List, told Politico that the new Republican Party language could be “the strongest pro-life platform yet.”
“The life language that came out of the constitution subcommittee is even stronger than the 2012 language,” Valentine said.
Several strong pro-life leaders are in charge of drafting the new Republican Party platform. The Hill reports U.S. Sen. John Barrasso is the chair the Republican platform committee. Barrasso, who represents Wyoming, has a 100-percent pro-life voting record from the National Right to Life Committee. His appointment as chair signaled a strong party commitment to restoring unborn babies’ right to life.
There was some speculation that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would attempt to weaken the party’s pro-life position. In April, Trump said he “absolutely” wants to change the current pro-life platform to promote abortions in cases of rape and incest.
However, new reports indicate the party will not be swayed from its pro-life position. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, who also is serving on the platform committee, confirmed in an interview with CNN last week that the party will “remain pro-life.”
“[Trump] will have representation — he’s going to be the presumptive Republican nominee — and certainly he will have a voice with his people, who will make recommendations, too,” Fallin said. “But in the end, this platform is driven by grassroots Republican people throughout the nation who will represent the very values and principles of the Republican Party.”
Some of the new Republican Party language appears to be in direct response to the radical new pro-abortion proposals in the Democratic Party’s platform.
The proposed Democratic Party platform this year is more extreme than it has ever been, calling for a repeal of the Hyde Amendment and full-fledged taxpayer funding of abortion. It also specifically names the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and calls for support of its work. The current Democratic Party platform already supports legalized abortion on demand for any reason up until birth.
The new Democratic proposals are so extreme on abortion that even some of its own party members are getting uncomfortable. Taxpayer funding of abortion and unlimited abortions up until birth are extreme positions that grate against most Americans’ views on the matter. However, the Democratic National Committee officially rejected an effort by pro-life Democrats in 2012 to get the party to include them in its platform.
Both platforms will be voted on during the parties’ conventions this summer.
