Over the last two days I had the privilege of working once again on the pro-life provisions of the Republican Party Platform in the meeting they hold once every four years. And once again the Committee approved a new party platform that strongly defends the sanctity of human life. A key provision in the document is a call for a Human Life Amendment to the US Constitution, a provision that has been in place since 1976, just three years after Roe v. Wade.
And, in an historic first pioneered by myself and Kellie Fiedorek of AUL Action, the document now includes information about the negative impact of abortion on women, a provision that was approved unanimously by the delegates. Introduced by Illinois Delegate Sharee Langenstein, the mother of six daughters, for the first time the fact that abortion is bad for women is included in the section on health:
“Through Obamacare, the Obama Administration has promoted the notion that abortion is healthcare. We, however, affirm the dignity of women by protecting the sanctity of human life. Numerous studies have shown that abortion endangers the health and well-being of women and we stand firmly against it.”
Some of the other key provisions included in this year’s document are:
“Republican leadership has led the effort to prohibit the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion, and permitted States to extend health care coverage to children before birth.”
“We urge Congress to strengthen the Born Alive Infant Protection Act by exacting appropriate civil and criminal penalties to health care providers who fail to provide treatment and care to an infant who survives an abortion, including early induction delivery where the death of the infant is intended.”
“We oppose school-based clinics that provide referrals, counseling, and related services for abortion or contraception.”
“We also salute the many States that have passed laws for informed consent, mandatory waiting periods prior to an abortion, and health-protective clinic regulations.”
“We seek to protect young girls from exploitation through a parental consent requirement; and we affirm our moral obligation to assist rather than penalize, women challenged by an unplanned pregnancy.”
“We salute those who provide them with counseling and adoption alternatives and empower them to choose life, and we take comfort in the tremendous increase in adoptions that has followed Republican initiatives.”
“We support the ability of all organizations to provide, purchase, or enroll in health coverage consistent with their religious, moral, or ethical convictions without discrimination or penalty.”
These kinds of party platform planks represent the ideals people hold and describes their motivations for future public policy that the Party will pursue. In this case, we have yet again an unambiguous declaration that the Republican Party will work to defend human life in the law.