Republicans Denounce VA Gov Abortion Comments as 11 Democrats Respond Differently

Republicans Denounce VA Gov Abortion Comments as 11 Democrats Respond Differently
A baby in a file photo. (Fred Dufour/AFP/Getty Images)
Zachary Stieber
2/1/2019
Updated:
2/2/2019
Top Republicans denounced remarks made by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam that seemed to breach the border between abortion and infanticide as 11 Democrats claimed they hadn’t heard about the remarks.
Northam said during a Jan. 30 radio interview that in some cases, an infant would be delivered and “kept comfortable” while the mother and doctors decided whether the baby “would be resuscitated.”
He was referring to a bill introduced by Virginia Democrats that would allow abortion up until birth if one physician signed off.

Republicans denounced the remarks.

“This is morally repugnant,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said in a statement obtained by National Review.

“In just a few years pro-abortion zealots went from ‘safe, legal, and rare’ to ‘keep the newborns comfortable while the doctor debates infanticide.' I don’t care what party you’re from—if you can’t say that it’s wrong to leave babies to die after birth, get the hell out of public office.”

“Heartbreaking: VA gov’s pro-abortion dogma is so extreme that he advocates taking the life of babies AFTER they are born. Watch the video. Every human life is precious—a gift from God—and the modern Democratic Party’s embrace of late-term (or post-birth) abortion is truly tragic,” added Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) called Northam’s comments “shocking.”

“This politician wants to allow infants to be killed once they have been born. In America. The Senate should vote to stop this today. Protect all unborn infants after 5 months,” he said on Twitter, adding that all Democratic presidential candidates should be asked immediately about their views on allowing abortions during birth.

President Donald Trump also slammed the legislation the governor was referring to, telling the Daily Caller in an Oval Office interview, “I thought it was terrible.”

“Do you remember when I said Hillary Clinton was willing to rip the baby out of the womb? That’s what it is, that’s what they’re doing, it’s terrible,” he said.

“This is going to lift up the whole pro-life movement like maybe it’s never been lifted up before,” he added.

He later took to Twitter to address the Democrats attempt to push late-term abortion in addition to more taxes, opposition to the southern border wall, and support for sanctuary states and cities.

“Democrats are becoming the Party of late-term abortion, high taxes, Open Borders and Crime!” he said.

Three in four Americans said that abortion should be limited to the first three months of pregnancy, if allowed at all, with some supporting exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother, according to a Marist Poll (pdf) released on Jan. 15. Seventy-two percent of respondents told Gallup in a 2018 poll that abortions should be illegal in the second trimester while 87 percent said abortions should be illegal in the final trimester.

Neither pollster asked if people supported killing babies after they were born, as was suggested by Gov. Northam.

Democrats appeared to unilaterally decline comment on the issue, claiming they were unaware of the remarks.

Daily Caller Capitol Hill reporter Henry Rodgers said that he spoke with 10 U.S. Democratic Senators on Jan. 31 amid the uproar over the comments.

“Not one of them would acknowledge [Northam’s] comments,” Rodgers said on Twitter. “Everyone of them denied hearing them.”

Rodgers said he spoke with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Conn.), and Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.).

Only Jones would comment about late-term abortions in general, saying he supported the law as it stands now.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), was also asked about Northam’s comments during her press conference on Thursday.

“You often talk about the diversity of viewpoints in the Democratic caucus. There are pro-life Democrats in your group. Considering the comments from Governor Northam yesterday, how does that make it harder for pro-life Democrats in the party and does that cause problems?” a reporter asked.

“I’m sorry, I just don’t know what he said yesterday,” Pelosi responded.

Pelosi then addressed other reporters who raised their hands trying to ask her questions, stating, “Are you going to ask a new question or is it the same old, same old?”

Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
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