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Cory Booker on Abortion

Mayor of Newark; N.J. Senator; 2020 presidential contender (withdrawn)

 


Create Office of Reproductive Freedom & Reproductive Rights

Q: If states prevail on restricting abortion how would you stop them?

Senator Booker: Let's be clear about these laws we see from Alabama to Ohio: they're not just attacks on one of the most sacrosanct ideals in our country--liberty, the ability to control your own body--but they are particular another example of people trying to punish, trying to penalize, trying to criminalize poverty. Because this is disproportionately affecting low income women in this country, people in rural areas in this country. It is an assault on the most fundamental ideal, that human beings should control their own body. As president, the way I'm going to deal with this is first of all elevating it to a White House level position. I will create the Office of Reproductive Freedom and Reproductive Rights in the White House. Make sure that we begin to fight back on a systematic attempt, that's gone on for decades, to undermine Roe v. Wade. I will fight to codify it.

Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate , Oct 15, 2019

Women shouldn't be only ones for reproductive rights

We have another healthcare debate and we're not talking about the clear and existential threat in America that we're in a state that has had two Planned Parenthoods close. We are seeing, all over this country, women's reproductive rights under attack. Women should not be the only ones taking up this cause and this fight. It is not just because women are our daughters and our friends and our wives. It's because women are people and people deserve to control their own body.
Source: October Democratic CNN/NYTimes Primary debate , Oct 15, 2019

Claimed to support post-viability exceptions, but voted no

BROKEN PROMISE: : While running for Senate, an opposition ad claimed that Booker condoned abortion at any stage of pregnancy and without restrictions. Booker's campaign responded that Booker does support restrictions: "Mayor Booker does not oppose restrictions on post-viability abortions if exceptions are made for the health and the life of the mother." Booker attempted to appear more moderate on abortion by parsing meaningless differences in policy: we call that "legalism."

ANALYSIS: Booker was pressed for specifics during the campaign and said he accepted "post-viability exceptions." But then he co-sponsored a bill that banned post-viability exceptions. Booker might say, "Well, SOME post-viability exceptions are ok, but not THOSE post-viability exceptions." But THOSE post-viability exceptions are the currently controversial ones, which come up on pro-life bills for votes in the Senate.

Source: Cory Booker 'Promises Broken,' by Jesse Gordon, p. 82 , Apr 1, 2017

Fix Hobby Lobby: it's not about religious freedom

Cory Booker urged Congress today to pass a law to fight the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial ruling allowing some religious-leaning companies to refuse paying for insurance coverage for contraception under ObamaCare. Booker vowed to work with fellow Democrats in Congress to draft legislation that would "fix" the ruling.

The nation's highest court voted 5-4 on Monday that companies with religious objections can dodge the requirement to pay for insurance coverage for contraception under Obama's Affordable Care Act, saying it violates a federal law protecting religious freedom. The ruling favored art-and-crafts chain Hobby Lobby, among about 50 companies to sue over the ObamaCare requirement.

Booker is running for re-election this year against Republican challenger Jeff Bell, who--like other GOP leaders--praised Monday's ruling.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger on 2014 New Jersey Senate race , Jul 1, 2014

Vigorously defend women's access to affordable birth control

My priorities for affordable, high-quality health care include:
Source: 2013-2014 New Jersey Senate campaign web CoryBooker.com , Nov 3, 2013

OpEd: In mainstream of NJ, supporting abortion rights

Booker and Lonegan each attacked the other with starkly different views on health care, gay marriage, abortion, education and job creation.

Lonegan was asked about his affiliation with the tea party, his support for the government shutdown and his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

Booker's campaign is banking on the fact that Lonegan's views are far to the right of those of a majority of New Jersey residents, who support abortion and gay marriage and voted to return Pres. Obama to office.

Source: Newark Star-Ledger coverage of 2013 N.J. Senate debate , Oct 5, 2013

No restrictions before viability; exceptions after viability

Cory Booker supports a woman's right to choose, according to his campaign website. But to hear a conservative group's ad tell it, Booker supports much more than choice.

The American Commitment Action Fund, a conservative PAC behind the BookerFAIL website, funded a new ad that claims Booker condones abortion at any stage of pregnancy and without restrictions. "He supports late-term and partial-birth abortion and opposes safety regulations," the ad states.

We checked with the Booker campaign. "We can all agree that we want to prevent unintended pregnancies, and therefore the need for abortion," a spokesman said. "Mayor Booker supports Roe v Wade, which allows women the right to choose up to the point of viability."

As for late-term and partial-birth abortions? "Cory Booker does not oppose restrictions on post-viability abortions if exceptions are made for the health and the life of the mother," the spokesman said.

Source: Politifact.com FactCheck on 2014 New Jersey Senate race , Sep 1, 2013

Ban anti-abortion limitations on abortion services.

Booker co-sponsored Women's Health Protection Act

Congressional summary:: Women's Health Protection Act: makes the following limitations concerning abortion services unlawful and prohibits their imposition or application by any government:

Opponent's argument against (Live Action News): This is Roe v. Wade on steroids. The bill is problematic from the very beginning. Its first finding addresses "women's ability to participate equally"; many have rejected this claim that women need abortion in order to be equal to men, or that they need to be like men at all. The sponsors of this pro-abortion bill also seem to feel that pro-life bills have had their time in this country, and that we must now turn back to abortion. The bill also demonstrates that its proponents have likely not even bothered attempting to understand the laws they are seeking to undo, considering that such laws are in place to regulate abortion in order to make it safer. Those who feel that abortion is best left up for the states to decide will also find this bill problematic with its overreach. Sadly, the bill also uses the Fourteenth Amendment to justify abortion, as the Supreme Court did, even though in actuality it would make much more sense to protect the lives of unborn Americans.

Source: H.R.3471 & S.1696 14-S1696 on Nov 13, 2013

Access safe, legal abortion without restrictions.

Booker co-sponsored S.217 & H.R.448

Congressional Summary: Congress finds the following:

Opponents reasons for voting NAY:(National Review, July 17, 2014): During hearings on S. 1696, Senators heard many myths from abortion proponents about the "need" for the bill's evisceration of all life-affirming legislation.

Source: Women's Health Protection Act 15_S217 on Jan 21, 2015

Keep federal funding for family planning clinics.

Booker signed keeping federal funding for family planning clinics

Excerpts from Letter to the Senate Majority Leader from 46 Senators: The recent vote in the House to overturn rules protecting Title X health centers would deny women access to care. In 2015, Title X provided basic primary and preventive health care services such as pap tests, breast exams, and HIV testing to more than four million low-income women and men at over 4,000 health centers. In large part due to this work, the US unintended pregnancy rate is at a 30-year low, and rates of teenage pregnancy are the lowest in our nation's history. The success of the program is dependent on funding. Family planning services, like those provided at Planned Parenthood and other family planning centers, should be available to all women, no matter where they live or how much money they make.

Opposing argument: (Heritage Foundation, "Disentangling the Data"): Planned Parenthood received approximately $60 million of taxpayer money under Title X, and $390 million through Medicaid. To ensure that taxpayers are not forced to subsidize America's number one abortion provider, Congress should make Planned Parenthood affiliates ineligible to receive either Medicaid reimbursements or Title X grants if they continue to perform abortions. Taxpayer money from these programs should instead be redirected to the more than 9,000 federally qualified health center sites that provide comprehensive primary health care for those in need without entanglement in abortion.

Supporting argument: (ACLU, "Urging Title X"): Title X services help women & men to plan the number and timing of their pregnancies, thereby helping to prevent approximately one million unintended pregnancies, nearly half of which would end in abortion. However, current funding is inadequate. Had Title X funding kept up with inflation it would now be funded at nearly $700 million. We ask that Title X be funded at $375 million, which is $92 million above its current funding level.

Source: Letter to the Senate Majority Leader from 46 Senators 17LTR-TITX on Mar 1, 2017

Other candidates on Abortion: Cory Booker on other issues:
2020 Presidential Democratic Primary Candidates:
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

2020 GOP and Independent Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (Libertarian-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (Green-NY)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich (R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence (R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
CEO Howard Schultz (I-WA)
Pres.Donald Trump (R-NY)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)
V.C.Arvin Vohra (Libertarian-MD)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld (L-NY,R-MA)
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External Links about Cory Booker:
Wikipedia
Ballotpedia

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
State Rep.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)





Page last updated: Feb 23, 2020