Abortion is poised to be a major issue in this year’s presidential race and the Democratic and Republican parties have approved platforms that outline opposing positions.
The Democratic Platform (see PDF) states that “the Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.” This platform also “strongly supports access to comprehensive affordable family planning services and age-appropriate sex education” that will “reduce the need for abortions.”
The Republican Platform (see PDF) states that “we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.” Abortion issues are woven into several sections of this platform. In addition to the aforementioned position, the platform opposes “using public revenues to promote or perform abortion and will not fund organizations which advocate it” both domestically and abroad, supports “the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity and dignity of innocent human life,” and supports parental consent to “treatment involving pregnancy, contraceptives, and abortion.”
