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Chris Christie on Abortion
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FactCheck: No, Dems allow plenty of pro-life speakers
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was wrong when he claimed in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference that no "pro-life Democrat" has ever been allowed to speak at a Democratic National Convention. Christie claimed, "They're the party of
intolerance, not us." Christie's claim about anti-abortion Democrats is false.Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr.--who began an op-ed last year, "I am a pro-life senator"--delivered a prime time address during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Another featured speaker at the 2008 Convention was Sen. Joe Manchin, who said from the floor of the Senate, "I am pro-life, and proud of it," though he did not raise the issue in his speech at the convention.
Although no elected anti-abortion
Democrat spoke at the most recent Democratic National Convention in 2012, one of the convention speakers was Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of the Roman Catholic social justice organization NETWORK. And she expressed her "pro-life" position.
Source: FactCheck.org on speeches at 2014 CPAC convention
, Mar 7, 2014
GOP tolerates pro-choice views; Dems don't tolerate pro-life
This is what I mean about the media. I got asked a question last year: "Governor, you're very popular in a blue state. How can you export that to the rest of the country given the intolerance on social issues in your party?" And I said, "Well, let me
ask you a question. You say the Republicans are intolerant. Well, I'll just tell you this, at our national convention, we've had people like Tom Ridge and Colin Powell and Condi Rice speak at our national conventions,
even though our party platform and I don't agree with their position on abortion. Tell me, sir, the last pro-life Democrat who was allowed to speak at a Democratic convention?" And I said, "By the way,
don't strain yourself, because there's never been one." They're the party of intolerance, not us.
Source: Speech at 2014 CPAC convention
, Mar 6, 2014
1996: partial birth procedure is reprehensible
1996: partial birth procedure is reprehensible
In July 1996, the freeholder board voted 5-2 for a resolution urging Congress to override President Bill Clinton's April veto of a bill that would have banned most "partial birth" abortions. The item was raised by Christie at a work session. "It offended
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 54
, Jun 5, 2012
1994: Donated to Planned Parenthood; opposed public donation
1994: Donated to Planned Parenthood; opposed public donation
During the general election campaign, when Democratic candidates called for the county to restore its former annual $35,000 contribution to Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern NJ, which was eliminated in 1989 after an abortion controversy,
1994: Donated to Planned Parenthood; opposed public donation
Planned Parenthood privately with my personal contribution and that should be the goal of any such agency, to find private donations," he said. "It's also no secret that
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 49
, Jun 5, 2012
Pro-choice until seeing daughter pre-natally
Pro-choice until seeing daughter pre-natally
In a 2011 interview, Christie said his conversion on the issue had occurred in 1995. It followed a doctor's visit made 6 months before his daughter's birth."I had been pro-choice before that. It was just kind of the default position that I took,"
Pro-choice until seeing daughter pre-natally
And we heard this incredibly strong heartbeat. And I remember we came separately. And I was driving back to work, I said to myself, you know, as to my position on abortion, I would say that a week ago that wasn't a life. And I heard that heartbeat.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 54
, Jun 5, 2012
1996: Switched from pro-choice to pro-life
In January 2011, Christie--who'd been pro-choice until 1996, but he says changed his mind after hearing his daughter's heartbeat during a prenatal visit when Mary Pat was 13 weeks pregnant with their 2nd child, Sarah--became the
first NJ governor to address abortion rights opponents at their annual protest at the State House to mark the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. "What we need to do each and every day is to live our lives in a way that encourages everyone to
understand why this cause is so important," Christie said. "To show that we respect the life of every human being, and that every human being is one of God's creatures and deserves the love and respect that God gives to all of us."
His critics said Christie was pandering to the right wing of his party with an eye toward garnering their support in a future campaign for national office.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.201-202
, Jun 5, 2012
Eliminate family planning funding from state budget
Christie angered many of the Democratic women in the legislature, but thrilled social conservatives, by eliminating so-called family planning funding from the state budget. The name's a bit of a misnomer; the program provides health care services
such as pap smears and mammograms to women and doesn't fund abortions. But because some of the funds went to Planned Parenthood centers, conservatives say the funding essentially enables such centers to be able to use other revenues to provide a service
they find morally reprehensible. Christie argued that low-income women can access the health services they need at other clinics, primarily Federally Qualified Health Centers, in repeatedly vetoing
Democrats' efforts to provide $7.5 million in family planning funds. Democrats framed the family planning cuts as part of a bigger picture in which Christie has some sort of problem with women.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.205
, Jun 5, 2012
I'm pro-life with exceptions; take it or leave it
Q: Would you sign the abortion pledge going around the Republican field?A: I haven't seen the abortion pledge, I don't know what it says.
Q: Only pro-life people working for you; a promise to back anything that coincides with the life agenda;
defunding public payments for abortion across the board.
A: Here's my position on it. My name's the name on the ballot. I am pro-life, I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. That's my position, take it or leave it.
Source: Interview on NBC "Meet the Press"
, Jun 26, 2011
Life is precious and should be protected
Q: On abortion, quite controversially for a New Jersey governor, you came out strongly against it, a pretty liberal state when you became Governor?
A: I just told people about it right up front. I'm pro-life, I believe in exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, but I do believe that life is precious and should be protected.
Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011
"Default pro-choice" until hearing 13-week fetal heartbeat
Q: You developed your pro-life position firmly when your wife was 13 weeks pregnant?A: I heard a heartbeat. I had been pro-choice before that. I would call myself before that a kind of a non-thinking pro-choice person, kind of the default position.
When my wife was pregnant with our daughter Sarah, who is now fifteen, we happened to go to one of the prenatal visits at 13 weeks. My wife didn't look at all pregnant at that point, visibly, and we heard this incredibly strong heartbeat.
As I was driving back to work I said to myself you know, under my position on abortion I would say that a week ago that wasn't a life. I heard that heartbeat, that's a life. It led to me having a real reflection on my position and when
I took time to reflect on it I just said you know what? I'm not comfortable with that anymore, that was back in 1995, and I've been pro-life ever since.
Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011
Pro-life; the life of every human being is precious
I am pro-life. Hearing the strong heartbeat of my unborn daughter 14 years ago at 13 weeks gestation had a profound effect on me and my beliefs. The life of every human being is precious.
We must work to reduce abortions in New Jersey through laws such as parental notification, a 24-hour waiting period and a ban on partial-birth abortion.
Source: 2009 Gubernatorial campaign website, christiefornj.com
, Jul 21, 2009
Page last updated: Jan 19, 2015
