Accepts FDA approval of RU-486 but concerned about overuse
Q: Would you try to overturn the FDA’s approval last week of the abortion pill RU-486?
BUSH: I don’t think a president can do that. I was disappointed in the ruling because I’m worried that that pill will cause more people to have abortions. As to the
drug itself, I hope the FDA took its time to make sure that American women will be safe who use this drug.
GORE: Well, the FDA took 12 years. And I do support that decision. They determined it was medically safe for the women who use that drug.
Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
Ban partial-birth abortions, and reduce abortions overall
GORE (to Bush): On the issue of partial-birth or so-called late-term abortion, I would sign a law banning that procedure, provided that doctors have the ability to save a women’s life or to act if her health is severely at risk. [But] the main issue is
whether or not the Roe v. Wade decision is going to be overturned. I support a woman’s right to choose; my opponent does not.
BUSH: I know we need to ban partial-birth abortions. This is a place where my opponent & I have strong disagreements. I believe
banning partial-birth abortion would be a positive step toward reducing the number of abortions in America. This is an issue that’s going to require a new attitude. We’ve been battling over abortion for a long period of time. Surely this nation can come
together to promote the value of life.
GORE: He trusts the government to order a woman to do what he thinks she ought to do. I trust women to make the decisions that affect their lives, their destinies and their bodies.
Source: (X-ref Gore) Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
Find common ground where good people disagree
Q: What is your attitude towards abortion:
BUSH: Surely we can find common ground to reduce the number of abortions in America. This is a very important topic, and it’s a very sensitive topic because a lot of good people disagree on the issue.
I think what the next president ought to do is promote a culture of life in America. As a matter of fact, I think a noble goal for this country is that every child, born and unborn, ought to be protected in law and welcomed into life.
What I do believe is, we can find good common ground on issues like parental notification or parental consent. And I know we need to ban partial-birth abortions. This is a place where my opponent and I have strong disagreements. I believe banning
partial-birth abortion would be a positive step toward reducing the number of abortions in America.
Source: Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
Aprroval of RU-486 is wrong
The FDA approved yesterday the abortion pill RU-486, but leaders on both sides of the abortion issue say debate over the pill will continue. The FDA approved the drug under a regulation that gives the agency more leeway to impose
tighter restrictions or even take it off the market.“The FDA’s decision to approve the abortion pill RU-486 is wrong,” Bush said in a statement. “As president, I will work to build a culture that respects life.”
Source: Rita Rubin, USA Today, p. 1A
Sep 29, 2000
Good people can disagree; but let’s value life
I will lead our nation toward a culture that values life -- the life of the elderly and the sick, the life of the young, and the life of the unborn. I know good people disagree on this issue, but surely we can agree
on ways to value life by promoting adoption and parental notification, and when Congress sends me a bill against partial-birth abortion, I will sign it into law.
Source: Speech to Republican National Convention
Aug 3, 2000
Every child born and unborn ought to be protected
Bush opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the mother’s life. He’ll try to seem non-threatening, respecting others’ views without backing off his long-held “pro-life” position. He previously had said he would not demand that his
Supreme Court nominees be anti-abortion. It’s even conceivable he’ll choose a running mate who supports abortion rights, Bush said. “I’m going to talk about the culture of life,” he continued. “I’ve set the goal that every child born and unborn ought
to be protected. But I recognize [that many] people don’t necessarily agree with the goal. People appreciate somebody who sets a tone, a tone that values life, but recognizes that
people disagree.“ He pointed out that those gun-toting killers at Columbine High School did not value life; they ”devalued“ it.
Source: George Skelton, Los Angeles Times
Jun 5, 2000
Welcome all children; supports adoption tax credits
Pro life with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother
Set the goal that all children should be welcomed in life and protected by law
Supports parental notification, banning use of taxpayer funds for abortion, and banning
partial birth abortion
Supports GOP abortion plank but disagrees on exceptions
McCAIN [to Bush]: Do you believe in the exemption, in the case of abortion, for rape, incest, and life of the mother? BUSH: Yeah, I do. McCain: [But you] support the pro-life plank [in the Republican Party platform]? BUSH: I do.
McCAIN: So, in other words, your position is that you believe there’s an exemption for rape, incest and the life of the mother, but you want the platform that you’re supposed to be leading to have no exemption. Help me out there, will you?
BUSH: I will. The platform doesn’t talk about what specifically should be in the constitutional amendment. The platform speaks about a constitutional amendment. It doesn’t refer to how that constitutional amendment ought to be
defined. McCAIN: If you read the platform, it has no exceptions. BUSH: John, I think we need to keep the platform the way it is. This is a pro-life party. McCAIN: Then you are contradicting your platform.
Source: GOP Debate on the Larry King Show
Feb 15, 2000
No Republican will allow partial-birth abortion
Q: What is your opinion on partial-birth abortion? A: The next president should set this goal for America: Every child, born and unborn, protected in law and welcomed into life. That’s what the next president ought to do. The
question is which one of us can lead America to appreciate life. All three of us will sign a ban on partial-birth abortion. Gore will sit there and justify partial-birth abortion. I don’t know how he can justify partial-birth abortion.
Source: GOP Debate on the Larry King Show
Feb 15, 2000
Ideal: Value every life; but many steps to get there
I believe that life is valuable, even when it is unwanted, even when it is physically imperfect. I believe our society has a responsibility to defend the vulnerable and the weak. And I believe our nation should set a goal: that unborn children should be
welcomed in life and protected in law. This is the ideal: a generous society that values every life. I know there are many steps on this road. A democracy is ruled by consensus, not by edict. Laws are changed as minds are persuaded.
Source: www.georgewbush.com/News “Parental Notification Law”
Jun 7, 1999
Supports Parental Notification Law for minor girls
[Bush supports provisions in Texas’] Parental Notification Law which:
Requires doctors to notify a parent or guardian by phone or certified mail at least 48 hours before performing an abortion on a minor girl;
Allows a judicial bypass where
extenuating circumstances exist;
Provides a $10,000 fine for failing to notify;
Waives notification in cases of medical emergency; and
Reaffirms the duty to report suspected sexual or physical abuse.
Source: georgewbush.com/News/ “Parental Notification Law”
Jun 7, 1999
Ban partial-birth; ban taxpayer funding
Surely we as a party can agree, that by banning partial-birth, and by having mothers and dads notified, and by not spending taxpayers’ money on abortions that we can reduce abortions in America.
Source: Exploratory Committee Announcement, on NBC’s “Hardball”
Mar 8, 1999
Encourage fewer abortions via adoption & abstinence
Gov. Bush supports the following principles concerning abortion:
Should be legal only in cases of incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered
Should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements
Prohibit
partial-birth abortion.
Bush says, “The Supreme Court has decided [the key issues]. The best public policy is to encourage fewer abortions through strong adoption laws and giving children a clear pro-abstinence message.”
Source: Vote Smart NPAT 1998
Jul 2, 1998
George W. Bush on Supreme Court & Constitution
No litmus test; just strict constructionist interpretation
Q: Should a voter assume that all judicial appointments you make to the Supreme Court will be pro-life?
BUSH: Voters should assume that I have no litmus test on that issue or any other issue. The voters will know I’ll put competent judges on the bench,
people who will strictly interpret the Constitution and will not use the bench to write social policy. I believe in strict constructionists.
GORE: Both of us use similar language to reach an exactly opposite outcome. I don’t favor litmus tests, but I
know that there are ways to assess how a potential justice interprets the Constitution. I believe that there is a right of privacy in the Fourth Amendment. When the phrase “strict constructionist” is used, those are code words for saying that the
governor would appoint people who would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Q: What code phrases should we read by what you said?
GORE: It’d be very likely that [my appointeees would] uphold Roe v. Wade. But I do believe it’s wrong to use a litmus test.
Source: (X-ref Gore) Presidential debate, Boston MA
Oct 3, 2000
No tax money for abortion, but no Pro-Life Amendment either
Bush has a solidly anti-abortion record in Texas, pushing aggressively for restrictions on the practice and for a more streamlined adoption process. But he has also been careful to send out subtle signals, including saying that
e will not use abortion as a litmus test for selecting Supreme Court justices, and considering Tom Ridge, the pro-choice governor of Pennsylvania, as his running mate. (He chose Dick Cheney, solidly anti, in the end). Bush:
opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother
supports laws under which parents are notified if minors undergo abortions
supports a ban on “partial-birth” (late-term) abortions
opposes the use of taxpayer money to pay for abortions
wants to make adoption easier, and to promote abstinence programs in schools
will not try to change the constitution to outlaw abortion.
Source: The Economist, “Issues 2000” special
Sep 30, 2000
No litmus test except strict Constitutional interpretation
“If elected, I will support Supreme Court judges who will strictly interpret the Constitution.” A strict stance on abortion, he indicated, would not rest at the top of his list of requirements for an appointee, though Bush has voiced strong personal
opposition to most forms of the procedure. “I will not have a litmus test for my judges, except for: Will the judge strictly interpret the Constitution, and not use the bench to write social policy?”
Source: Ian Christopher McCaleb, CNN.com
Aug 30, 2000
Supreme Court is wrong: leave abortion to the states
Bush, confronted once more by an issue that threatens his courtship of moderate voters, said he was disappointed by the court’s 5-4 vote striking down a Nebraska law banning so-called “partial-birth” abortions.
States should have the right to enact reasonable laws and restrictions particularly to end the inhumane practice of ending a life that otherwise could live, Bush said. He pledged to fight for a partial-birth abortion ban
that would meet constitutional muster. Bush has said he supports a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of a mother.
But Bush has also said he supports the Republican Party platform, which contains an anti-abortion plank that makes no such exceptions.
Source: Sandra Sobieraj, AP article in Washington Post
Jun 28, 2000
No pro-life pledge; VP & judges will simply be qualified
FORBES [to Bush]: Let’s pretend George that you get the nomination in August. Would you make three pledges tonight? 1) Preserve the Ronald Reagan plank on life in the Republican platform? 2) State unequivocally that you’ll chose only pro-life
judges? 3) Vow to pick a pro-life running mate?
BUSH: I’m going to pick a vice president who can be the president. I’ll pick judges who strictly interpret the constitution and not use the bench as a way to legislate. And I will work to keep the
Republican Party pro-life.
FORBES: It’s a typical hedge. Where’s the pledge, not a hedge? Vagaries aren’t going to work. We need something specific.
BUSH: I will have a vice president who can become the president. That’s the
test, Steve. I will have a vice president that agrees with my policy. I’m going to have a vice president that likes me. I can’t be any more clear -- you may not like the answer, but that’s my answer.
Source: (cross-ref from Forbes) GOP Debate in Michigan
Jan 10, 2000
Would support - but not pursue - a pro-life Amendment
Bush has said he is opposed to abortion and would support a constitutional amendment making the procedure illegal - except in cases of rape, incest and when the woman’s life is jeopardy. But he also says Americans don’t support the measure, thus there is
no need to pursue it. But he would not require his Supreme Court nominees to pass an anti-abortion ‘litmus test.’
Source: Associated Press
Jun 14, 1999
Click here for 5 older quotations from George W. Bush on Abortion.
Click here for definitions & background information on Abortion.
