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John Edwards on Abortion
Democratic Nominee for Vice President; NC Jr Senator
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Ad: compassion, truth, and hope over fear-mongering
GRAPHIC: CompassionEDWARDS: We are going to build an America where we say no to kids going to bed hungry. No to kids not having the clothes to keep them warm.
GRAPHIC: Trust
EDWARDS: Every child in America will be safer and more secure if they
grow up in a world where we are once more looked up to and respected.
GRAPHIC: Hope
EDWARDS: We don't believe in tearing people apart. We believe in bringing them together!
GRAPHIC: Fear
CHENEY: In this period of extraordinary danger we came to
recognize our vulnerability to the threats of the new era... the ultimate nightmare... the beginning of the end of America
ANNOUNCER: Choose compassion, truth, hope. Choose Kerry/Edwards.
ANALYSIS: This˙Internet ad by the anti-Bush group
MoveOn PAC˙paints Cheney as a fear-monger. It uses snippets from speeches by each of the candidates. Viewers could get˙the false idea that Cheney˙was predicting "the end of America" when in fact he was quoting˙an al Qaeda operative-and scornfully at that
Source: Ad-Watch analysis by Fact Check.org
Jul 20, 2004
Right to abortion is constitutionally protected
I support a woman's right to choose and believe this that right is constitutionally protected. I also support funding for family planning.
Source: Vote-Smart Presidential National Political Awareness Test
Jan 8, 2004
Voted NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime.
Bill would make it a criminal offense to harm or kill a fetus during the commission of a violent crime. The measure would set criminal penalties, the same as those that would apply if harm or death happened to the pregnant woman, for those who harm a fetus. It is not required that the individual have prior knowledge of the pregnancy or intent to harm the fetus. This bill prohibits the death penalty from being imposed for such an offense. The bill states that its provisions should not be interpreted to apply a woman's actions with respect to her pregnancy.
Reference: Unborn Victims of Violence Act;
Bill S.1019/HR.1997
; vote number 2004-63
on Mar 25, 2004
Voted NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions.
Vote on a motion to table [kill] an amendment that would repeal the ban on privately funded abortions at overseas military facilities.
Bill S 2549
; vote number 2000-134
on Jun 20, 2000
Voted NO on banning partial birth abortions.
This legislation, if enacted, would ban the abortion procedure in which the physician partially delivers the fetus before completing the abortion. [A NO vote supports abortion rights].
Status: Bill Passed Y)63; N)34; NV)3
Reference: Partial Birth Abortion Ban;
Bill S. 1692
; vote number 1999-340
on Oct 21, 1999
Voted NO on disallowing overseas military abortions.
The Murray amdt would have repealed current laws prohibiting overseas U.S. military hospitals and medical facilities from performing privately funded abortions for U.S. service members and their dependents.
Status: Motion to Table Agreed to Y)51; N)49
Reference: Motion to table Murray Amdt #397;
Bill S. 1059
; vote number 1999-148
on May 26, 1999
Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record.
Edwards scores 100% by NARAL on pro-choice voting record
For over thirty years, NARAL Pro-Choice America has been the political arm of the pro-choice movement and a strong advocate of reproductive freedom and choice. NARAL Pro-Choice America's mission is to protect and preserve the right to choose while promoting policies and programs that improve women's health and make abortion less necessary. NARAL Pro-Choice America works to educate Americans and officeholders about reproductive rights and health issues and elect pro-choice candidates at all levels of government. The NARAL ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
Source: NARAL website 03n-NARAL on Dec 31, 2003
Expand embryonic stem cell research.
Edwards signed a letter from 58 Senators to the President
Dear Mr. President:
We write to urge you to expand the current federal policy concerning embryonic stem cell research.
Embryonic stem cells have the potential to be used to treat and better understand deadly and disabling diseases and conditions that affect more than 100 million Americans, such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, and many others.
We appreciate your words of support for the enormous potential of this research, and we know that you intended your policy to help promote this research to its fullest. As you know, the Administration's policy limits federal funding only to embryonic stem cells that were derived by August 9, 2001.
However, scientists have told us that since the policy went into effect more than two years ago, we have learned that the embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federal funding will not be suitable to effectively promote this research. We therefore feel it is essential to
relax the restrictions in the current policy for this research to be fully explored.
Among the difficult challenges with the current policy are the following:
- While it originally appeared that 78 embryonic stem cell lines would be available for research, only 19 are available to researchers.
- All available stem cell lines are contaminated with mouse feeder cells, making their therapeutic use for humans uncertain.
- It is increasingly difficult to attract new scientists to this area of research because of concerns that funding restrictions will keep this research from being successful.
- Despite the fact that U.S. scientists were the first to derive human embryonic stem cells, leadership in this area of research is shifting to other countries.
We would very much like to work with you to modify the current embryonic stem cell policy so that it provides this area of research the greatest opportunity to lead to the treatments and cures for which we are all hoping.
Source: Letter from 58 Senators to the President 04-SEN8 on Jun 4, 2004