GOP Nominees and Abortion: Where the Candidates Stand

Round one of the Republican debate brought many issues to the table with candidates varying their stances across the board. One subject that brought the most unity dealt with Planned Parenthood, government funding, and prolife legislation. With each candidate claiming a prolife stance, abortion questions focused on how their records proved that. Moderator Megyn Kelly specifically asked Governor Bush to explain why he sat on the board of a company that gave millions to Planned Parenthood. “As governor of the state of Florida, I defunded Planned Parenthood. I created a culture of life in our state,” said Bush. “My record as a pro-life governor is not in dispute. I am completely pro-life and I believe that we should have a culture of life." Kelly took a different tact with Senator Marco Rubio stating that he supported rape and incest exceptions to abortion bans. Rubio quickly fired back that she was wrong. “I have never said that. And I have never advocated that,” said Rubio. “I believe that every single human being is entitled to the protection of our laws…And I think future generations will look back at this history of our country and call us barbarians for murdering millions of babies who we never gave them a chance to live.” Frontrunner Donald Trump also explained what caused him to change his prochoice beliefs. “Friends of mine years ago were going to have a child, and it was going to be aborted. And it wasn’t aborted. And that child today is a total superstar,” said Trump. CBN News caught up with national prolife leaders, Penny Nance and Marjorie Dannenfelser, who both expressed confidence that the Republican Party is united in defending the rights of the unborn. “The good news is the first time in a Republican Primary for president, every single candidate is very strongly behind the two most important initiatives for the pro life movement,” said President of the Susan B. Anthony List, Marjorie Dannenfelser. “We’re talking about the child and the well being of the mother, that’s where we should have been a long time ago, but thanks be to God we are there now and we’re winning.” “When you’ve got complete agreement across the board with the Republican party, then you can only say republican party is the party of life,” said Penny Nance, President and CEO of Concerned Women for America, “The bottom line is, we have to elect a pro life president.” These subjects are likely to be revisited during round two next September in California.