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| Paul Ryan's pro-life views in spotlight after Todd Akin's rape comments | Paul Ryan's pro-life views in spotlight after Todd Akin's rape comments |
| (10 days later) | |
| The row over the "legitimate rape" comments of a Republican congressman has brought renewed attention on the staunchly pro-life views of the party's vice-presidential candidate, Paul Ryan. | The row over the "legitimate rape" comments of a Republican congressman has brought renewed attention on the staunchly pro-life views of the party's vice-presidential candidate, Paul Ryan. |
| Mitt Romney's campaign managers moved swiftly to limit the damage from remarks made by Todd Akin, the Republican senate candidate for Missouri, who suggested women could not become pregnant from being raped. | Mitt Romney's campaign managers moved swiftly to limit the damage from remarks made by Todd Akin, the Republican senate candidate for Missouri, who suggested women could not become pregnant from being raped. |
| A "Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape," the campaign said in a statement. | A "Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape," the campaign said in a statement. |
| But commentators on Monday moved to point out that the statement appeared to contradict the Republican vice-presidential candidate's earlier positions on the issue. | But commentators on Monday moved to point out that the statement appeared to contradict the Republican vice-presidential candidate's earlier positions on the issue. |
| Ryan, a staunch pro-lifer, was a co-sponsor of a controversial House bill last year defining life as the moment of fertilisation and granting "personhood" rights to embryos. Abortion rights activist say the Sanctity of Human Life Act would have outlawed all abortions, restrict some forms of contraception, in-vitro fertilisation and stem-cell research. | Ryan, a staunch pro-lifer, was a co-sponsor of a controversial House bill last year defining life as the moment of fertilisation and granting "personhood" rights to embryos. Abortion rights activist say the Sanctity of Human Life Act would have outlawed all abortions, restrict some forms of contraception, in-vitro fertilisation and stem-cell research. |
| The bill never made it onto the floor of the house. All state attempts to introduce so-called "personhood" amendments into law have failed, even in conservative states. It was rejected in Mississippi in November 2011. | The bill never made it onto the floor of the house. All state attempts to introduce so-called "personhood" amendments into law have failed, even in conservative states. It was rejected in Mississippi in November 2011. |
| Ryan also voted for and co-sponsored house bill dubbed the "let women die" bill by pro-choice campaigners. The bill would allow hospitals to deny emergency abortions, even when it is necessary to save a woman's life. | Ryan also voted for and co-sponsored house bill dubbed the "let women die" bill by pro-choice campaigners. The bill would allow hospitals to deny emergency abortions, even when it is necessary to save a woman's life. |
| He was also a co-sponsor of the ultrasound informed consent act, which requires a women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound even if not medically necessary and forced doctors to provide images and descriptions of the foetus to her. | He was also a co-sponsor of the ultrasound informed consent act, which requires a women seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound even if not medically necessary and forced doctors to provide images and descriptions of the foetus to her. |
| His record on the issue of abortion and reproductive rights is such that the pro-life National Right to Life Committee awarded him a 100% pro-life voting record and said he had not once voted against its position in his 14 years in the House. It recorded 59 votes that Ryan took on abortion-related bills, including the partial birth abortion ban act and the no taxpayer funding for abortion act. | His record on the issue of abortion and reproductive rights is such that the pro-life National Right to Life Committee awarded him a 100% pro-life voting record and said he had not once voted against its position in his 14 years in the House. It recorded 59 votes that Ryan took on abortion-related bills, including the partial birth abortion ban act and the no taxpayer funding for abortion act. |
| Ryan, Akin and most of the House GOP supported a bill that would have narrowed the already few exceptions to the laws banning federal funding for abortion – from all cases of rape to cases of "forcible rape". | Ryan, Akin and most of the House GOP supported a bill that would have narrowed the already few exceptions to the laws banning federal funding for abortion – from all cases of rape to cases of "forcible rape". |
| When Ryan was picked as Romney's running mate, the pro-life movement sent out press releases enthusiastically greeting his selection. | When Ryan was picked as Romney's running mate, the pro-life movement sent out press releases enthusiastically greeting his selection. |
| Last week, President Barack Obama's campaign muddied the waters on Ryan's position on the issue. Shortly after the formal announcement of Ryan's selection, Obama's team tweeted that Ryan would ban would ban abortions even in cases of rape and incest and had sponsored a bill that would outlaw some forms of birth control. The Democratic campaign emailed female supporters to stress Ryan's views. | Last week, President Barack Obama's campaign muddied the waters on Ryan's position on the issue. Shortly after the formal announcement of Ryan's selection, Obama's team tweeted that Ryan would ban would ban abortions even in cases of rape and incest and had sponsored a bill that would outlaw some forms of birth control. The Democratic campaign emailed female supporters to stress Ryan's views. |
| "Make sure the women in your life know: Paul Ryan supports banning all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest." | "Make sure the women in your life know: Paul Ryan supports banning all abortions, even in cases of rape or incest." |
| However, although Ryan has favoured stricter anti-abortion views than Romney, he has favoured abortions in situations where an abortion is needed to save the life of the mother. | However, although Ryan has favoured stricter anti-abortion views than Romney, he has favoured abortions in situations where an abortion is needed to save the life of the mother. |
| "I'm as pro-life as a person gets," Ryan told The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine, in 2010. | "I'm as pro-life as a person gets," Ryan told The Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine, in 2010. |
| In a 2010 essay for a conservative thinktank, Ryan compared the US supreme court ruling that legalized abortion to the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision, in which the court ruled that black slaves were not legally people. | In a 2010 essay for a conservative thinktank, Ryan compared the US supreme court ruling that legalized abortion to the infamous 1857 Dred Scott decision, in which the court ruled that black slaves were not legally people. |
| Ryan wrote: "After America has won the last century's hard-fought struggles against unequal human rights in the forms of totalitarianism abroad and segregation at home, I cannot believe any official or citizen can still defend the notion that an unborn human being has no rights." | Ryan wrote: "After America has won the last century's hard-fought struggles against unequal human rights in the forms of totalitarianism abroad and segregation at home, I cannot believe any official or citizen can still defend the notion that an unborn human being has no rights." |
| When he first won election to Congress in 1998, Ryan vowed to oppose all abortions unless they were needed to save the life of the mother. He voted for a bill barring anyone besides parents from transporting minors across state lines for abortions. He also voted against a measure to allow women in the military to receive abortions in military hospitals. | When he first won election to Congress in 1998, Ryan vowed to oppose all abortions unless they were needed to save the life of the mother. He voted for a bill barring anyone besides parents from transporting minors across state lines for abortions. He also voted against a measure to allow women in the military to receive abortions in military hospitals. |
| No one from the NRLC or Americans United for Life – two of the groups supporting Ryan – was available for comment when contacted by the Guardian on Monday. | No one from the NRLC or Americans United for Life – two of the groups supporting Ryan – was available for comment when contacted by the Guardian on Monday. |
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