Report: GOP Seeks Abortion Ban Without Exceptions
TAMPA (CBSMiami) – The Republican Party has distanced itself from controversial abortion comments made by Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin, but the party is also embracing a call for a constitutional ban on abortions, even in cases of rape or incest, according to CNN.
"We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children," a draft version of the Republican Party platform said.
Additionally, the Republican Party platform will oppose any federally-funded embryonic stem cell research and force the government to "not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage," according to CNN.
Representative Akin drew immediate scorn from both sides of the aisle when he said over the weekend that victims of "legitimate rape" don't get pregnant. Akin is steadfastly refusing to drop-out of the Senate race, but could be forced out before 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Akin should drop out of the race, but Romney's own vice-presidential candidate, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, has partnered with Akin on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which would have had an exception for only women who are "forcibly raped."
The bill passed the GOP-led House, but only after the "forcibly raped" comment was removed from the bill. Ryan has previously said abortion should be illegal in all cases except to save the mother's life, without exceptions for rape and incest victims.
It puts Romney in an untenable position of having to defend a policy of allowing exceptions for rape and incest, while also courting ultra social conservatives who want abortion outlawed for any reason.
