New Jersey Republican Candidates For U.S. Senate Discuss Abortion Rights During Debate

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 25 Apr 2008 - 8:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Three Republican candidates for an open New Jersey U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday discussed abortion rights and other issues during a debate at Fairleigh Dickinson University ahead of the June 3 primary election, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer, state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio and Murray Sabrin, a professor at Ramapo College who ran for governor as a Libertarian in 1997, participated in the debate (Burton, Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/23).

All three candidates said they opposed so-called "partial-birth" abortion, although their views on other restrictions on abortion differed (Schwaneberg, Newark Star-Ledger, 4/23).
Zimmer said that he had voted against a federal ban on partial-birth abortion while in Congress but has since changed his position. He added that he wrote an opinion piece in a local newspaper asking Congress to impose a ban on the procedures (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/23). Zimmer added that he believes a "woman's right to choose" is "protected by the Constitution" but that he supports "reasonable restrictions" on abortion, such as parental notification.

Pennacchio said he is "pro-life" and supports a constitutional amendment "that recognizes life begins at conception." (Newark Star-Ledger, 4/23). Pennacchio also said that he doesn't "need a court" to tell him that "late-term abortions are infanticide" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/23). Sabrin said he is "pro-life" but opposes national mandates related to abortion. The "abortion issue should be handed back to the states," Sabrin said, adding, "Being pro-life does not mean you want one-size-fits-all for the country. I believe that would be a mistake" (Newark Star-Ledger), 4/23. He also said that it is "indefensible to do what a late-term abortion does and call it a woman's choice" (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/23).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.