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Dennis Kucinich on Abortion and Birth Control
This candidate has withdrawn from the election
I've had a journey on the issue [of reproductive rights]. A year ago, before I became a candidate for President, I broke from a voting record that had not been pro-choice. After hearing from many women in my own life, and from women and men in my community and across the country, I began a more intensive dialogue on the issue. A lot of women opened their hearts to me. That dialogue led me to wholeheartedly support a woman's right to choose.
Campaign website, www.Kucinich.org, "On The Issues" Apr 1, 2003
I support Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose, and will select Supreme Court justices who affirm this Constitutional right. Because I know that the right to choose is under attack -- as President, I will only support someone for the Supreme Court if he or she agrees to uphold Roe v. Wade.
Campaign website, www.Kucinich.org, "On The Issues" Apr 1, 2003
Which principles do you support regarding abortion: - Abortions should always be legal. - Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. - Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered
Vote-Smart Presidential National Political Awareness Test Jan 8, 2004
Cosponsored the `Emergency Contraception Education Act'. A bill to establish a public education and awareness program relating to emergency contraception.
Which principles do you support regarding abortion: - Abortions should always be legal. - Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. - Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered."
Vote-Smart Presidential National Political Awareness Test Jan 8, 2004
Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother's life.Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003: Vote to pass a bill banning a medical procedure, which is commonly known as "partial-birth" abortion. The procedure would be allowed only in cases in which a women's life is in danger, not for cases where a women's health is in danger. Those who performed this procedure, would face fines and up to two years in prison, the women to whom this procedure is performed on are not held criminally liable.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Santorum, R-PA; Bill S.3 ; vote number 2003-530 on Oct 2, 2003
Which principles do you support regarding abortion: - Abortions should always be legal. - Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. - Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
Vote-Smart Presidential National Political Awareness Test Jan 8, 2004
A woman's right-to-choose must be protected as essential to personal privacy and gender equality. Only those who agree to uphold Roe v. Wade should be nominated for the Supreme Court. I have a plan to reduce abortions by encouraging family planning, including abstinence training, combined with a full economic and health care plan that would clearly alleviate the number of abortions. Voters have a choice for a real plan to reduce the number of abortions with a program of economic justice.
2006 Congressional campaign website, www.kucinich.us Nov 7, 2006
Which principles do you support regarding abortion: - Abortions should always be legal. - Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. - Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
Vote-Smart Presidential National Political Awareness Test Jan 8, 2004
"Q: You started pro-life. Can you elaborate on what that was that made you change your mind? A: I've always worked to make abortions less necessary, through sex education and birth control. But the direction that Congress has taken, increasingly, is to make it impossible for women to be able to have an abortion if they need to protect their health. So when I saw the direction taken, it finally came to the point where I understood that women will not be truly free unless they have the right to choose"
Democratic 2004 Primary Presidential Debate in Durham NH Dec 9, 2003
Cosponsored the Emergency Contraception Education Act. To establish a public education and awareness program relating to emergency contraception.
Asked how he would vote today on public funding of abortions for the poor or on repealing restrictions on international family-planning money, Kucinich said: "I'm not going to go over every piece of legislation. But you can expect that I am going to continue to take a thoughtful approach, and that doesn't preclude the poor from having the government support their right to choose."
Q: The kind of AIDS prevention outreach is no longer eligible for Ryan White funding if it includes frank talk about gay people. Will you reinstate AIDS prevention as a category in Ryan White funding? A: First of all, the answer to your question is yes. This is a very serious health issue. And through our education system, a president must help the country, and help our children, in particular, learn the kind of conduct that promotes health. And that also means sex education. Now, some parents may not want that, and they should have the right to opt out. But the truth of the matter is that we need to have sex education. We also need a president who is ready to embrace people with AIDS in a real, meaningful way that says that, look, we want you to receive all the care that you need by having a not-for-profit health care system.
2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues Aug 9, 2007
Q: The kind of AIDS prevention outreach is no longer eligible for Ryan White funding if it includes frank talk about gay people. Will you reinstate AIDS prevention as a category in Ryan White funding? A: First of all, the answer to your question is yes. This is a very serious health issue. And through our education system, a president must help the country, and help our children, in particular, learn the kind of conduct that promotes health. And that also means sex education. Now, some parents may not want that, and they should have the right to opt out. But the truth of the matter is that we need to have sex education. We also need a president who is ready to embrace people with AIDS in a real, meaningful way that says that, look, we want you to receive all the care that you need by having a not-for-profit health care system.
2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues Aug 9, 2007