thompson
Certa Bonum Certamen
Yikes: Bernie Sounds Off on Taxpayer-Funded Abortions and Pro-Life Dems
Beth Baumann
Posted: Feb 08, 2020 12:30 PM
A conglomerate of pro-abortion groups, including NARAL Pro-Choice, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Demand Justice, held a forum in New Hampshire on Saturday focusing on abortion.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) made it very clear he believes that in order to be a Democrat a person must be pro-choice, a clear jab at pro-life Democratic voter Kristen Day. She was the one who asked former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg if he supported the Democratic Party changing its platform to be more inclusive of pro-life Democrats.
"Is there such a thing as a pro-life Democrat in your vision of the party?" NBC News' Stephanie Ruhle asked.
"I think being pro-choice is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat," he replied to audience cheers. "If you're asking me – and I think I may be wrong on this – I think in the Senate, probably 95 percent of the Democrats are pro-choice, the other few are not. In the House, maybe even a higher percentage. So that's kind of what my view is."
"I think, by this time in history, I think when we talk about what a Democrat is, I think being pro-choice is essentially an essential part of that," Sanders concluded.
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Later in the forum, he discussed Medicare for All and how, under his version of the plan, abortions would be funded by the taxpayers.
"And by the way, just so we are clear on this one, if this on anybody's mind. When we wrote the Medicare for All bill there was a lot of debate in our office with the people we work with – should we make certain in our Medicare for All bill that abortion rights were cemented right in there. We did it. It's in there," Sanders said to audience applause. "Alright, so that solves a lot of our problems."
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