Explore Candidates → Ron Paul on Abortion and Birth Control
Ron Paul on Abortion and Birth Control
"...It's academic to talk about civil liberties if you don't talk about the true protection of all life. So if you're going to protect liberty, you have to protect the life of the unborn just as well. I have a bill in Congress ["Sanctity of Life Act of 2007"] which I certainly would promote and push as president...and what it would do is establish the principle that life begins at conception."
Pro-life libertarians have a vital task to perform: to persuade the many abortion-supporting libertarians of the contradiction between abortion and individual liberty...A libertarian's support for abortion is not merely a minor misapplication of principle, as if one held an incorrect belief about the Austrian theory of the business cycle. The issue of abortion is fundamental, and therefore an incorrect view of the issue strikes at the very foundations of all beliefs
"I would not support Roe v. Wade but I certainly am absolutely opposed to the federal government funding abortion. But I cannot protect and fight for personal liberty if I don't fight for the right to life, and if you endorse abortion moments before delivery or in the third trimester--which is now legal-I as a physician can be paid for it."
I am also the prime sponsor of HR 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v Wade by removing the ability of federal courts to interfere with state legislation to protect life. This is a practical, direct approach to ending federal court tyranny which threatens our constitutional republic and has caused the deaths of 45 million of the unborn.
In 2005 and 2007, Paul introduced the Sanctity of Life Act, which would define human life as beginning from conception, removing abortion from federal jurisdiction and effectively negating Roe v. Wade. Paul has also introduced a Constitutional amendment with similar intent. Such laws would permit states to declare abortion to be murder and to outlaw new fetal stem cell research and some contraception and fertility treatments. Also in 2005 and 2007, Paul introduced the We the People Act, which would forbid all federal courts from adjudicating abortion as well as same-sex marriage, sexual practices, and government display of religious symbols. The Act would make federal decisions on those subjects nonbinding as state precedent, and would forbid federal courts from spending money to enforce their judgments.
"In Congress, I have authored legislation that seeks to define life as beginning at conception, HR 1094. The right of an innocent, unborn child to life is at the heart of the American ideals of liberty. My professional and legislative record demonstrates my strong commitment to this pro-life principle."
However, Paul also said that he opposes restrictions on emergency contraception.
Voted YES 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.
Bill sponsored by Santorum, R-PA; Bill S.3 ; vote number 2003-530 on Oct 2, 2003
As an obstetrician, I know that partial birth abortion is never a necessary medical procedure. It is a gruesome, uncivilized solution to a social problem.
Paul said he views the fetus as a "human being [with] legal rights...from the day of conception."
Voted YES 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.
Bill sponsored by Santorum, R-PA; Bill S.3 ; vote number 2003-530 on Oct 2, 2003
He also introduced H.R. 4379 that would prohibit the Supreme Court from ruling on issues relating to abortion, birth control, the definition of marriage and homosexuality and would cause the court's precedents in these areas to no longer be binding.
"I would not support Roe v. Wade but I certainly am absolutely opposed to the federal government funding abortion. But I cannot protect and fight for personal liberty if I don't fight for the right to life, and if you endorse abortion moments before delivery or in the third trimester--which is now legaI as a physician can be paid for it."
Q: What is the RLC's position on abortion? A: Neutral. We have both pro-lifers to pro-choicers, and in between. As far as libertarian groups go, you'll find that we are probably the most tolerant of the pro-life viewpoint. Our immediate past chairman, Cong. Ron Paul (R-TX, 14th Dist.) is very pro-life. Many other members are pro-choice. As libertarians, we oppose federal funding of abortion under any circumstances. It is not a litmus test, and it is not an issue that is often debated internally.
Republican Liberty Caucus Position Statement 00-RLC14 on Dec 8, 2000
Voted NO on the Abortion Funding Amendment.
Q: My name is Alex Harris. I'm 18. The National Institutes of Health reports that one in five Americans has a sexually-transmitted disease, affecting one out of every four sexually-active teens. Without even addressing teen pregnancy abortion rates, it's clear that our public policies have not protected my peers. Meanwhile, 2.5 million American teens like me have taken public abstinence pledges, to save sex until marriage — the only 100%-proven effective solution and prevention for STDs. In the interest of fairness and effectiveness, would you bring abstinence-education funding onto equal ground with contraceptive-based education? Thank you. HUCKABEE: Yes TANCREDO: Yes COX: Yes BROWNBACK: Yes PAUL: Yes HUNTER: Yes KEYES: Yes
Mike Huckabee, Tom Tancredo, Ron Paul, Sam Brownback and Duncan Hunter were joined by newly declared candidate Alan Keyes and businessman John Cox. All seven participants said they would work to keep federal funding away from organizations that perform or promote abortions...They all vowed to increase funding for abstinence education, to veto hate crimes legislation and to oppose embryonic stem cell research.