Statement on top Romney Surrogate’s attempt to mislead Ohio Voters on Romney Commitment to ending safe and legal abortion
For Immediate Release: Jan. 28, 2013
Planned Parenthood Action Fund: Romney Camp Desperate to Deceive Voters on Romney’s Women’s Health Agenda
WASHINGTON – After top Romney surrogate Norm Coleman tried to mislead Ohio voters yesterday about Romney’s commitment to ending safe and legal abortion, Planned Parenthood Action Fund Executive Vice President Dawn Laguens released the following statement:
“This is the latest in Mitt Romney’s string of last-ditch attempts to deceive voters about his commitment to ending safe and legal abortion. Mitt Romney’s agenda for women’s health is deeply unpopular and dangerous. He has vowed to end safe and legal abortion, end funding for Planned Parenthood’s preventive care that millions of people rely on, and repeal the Affordable Care Act and the coverage of birth control with no co-pay. The more women learn about Mitt Romney’s position, the less likely they are to support him, and that’s why he’s trying so hard to muddy the waters in the final days of this campaign.”
Mitt Romney has clearly said in his own words multiple times that he wants Roe v. Wade overturned — ending access to safe and legal abortion.
- In response to a question at a 2012 Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire, Romney said, “Do I believe the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade? Yes, I do.” [ABC, New Hampshire GOP Presidential Debate, 1/7/12]
- On the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, Romney released a statement saying, “Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the darkest moments in Supreme Court history, when the court in Roe v. Wade claimed authority over the fundamental question regarding the rights of the unborn.” [Life News, 1/22/12]
- Romney Believes Roe v. Wade is “Bad Law and Bad Medicine.” Romney: “I support the reversal of Roe v. Wade, because it is bad law and bad medicine. Roe was a misguided ruling that was a result of a small group of activist federal judges legislating from the bench.” [National Review, 6/18/11]
- When asked if the repeal of Roe v. Wade would be a good day for America, former Gov. Romney responded, "Absolutely." [MSNBC, Transcript of GOP Presidential Debate in California, 5/3/07]
According to the Washington Post, the president holds sway over what abortion rights look like, saying, “The Supreme Court is certainly the only body that can overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion. But that does not mean the president does not hold sway over what abortion rights look like in a wide variety of ways,” such as regulating Medicaid, passing federal abortion regulations, and appointing Supreme Court judges.
A recent New York Times editorial highlights how easy it would be for Romney to overturn Roe v. Wade through Supreme Court appointments, and the dangerous impact that would have on access to safe and legal abortion, saying “the result would turn back the clock to the days before Roe v. Wade when abortion was legal only in some states, but not in others. There is every indication that about half the states would make abortion illegal within a year of Roe being struck down, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenges abortion restrictions around the country, puts the number at 30 states. For one thing, abortion bans already on the books in some states would suddenly kick in. And some Republican-controlled state legislatures would outlaw abortion immediately.”