When I see this … I ask myself how extreme do you have to be … how absolutely OUT THERE must you be in order to start to create definitions for what constitutes rape and not rape. This is obscene and offensive. Not only did Paul Ryan vote to support this bill – he cosponsored it. When reporters have asked him about his having cosponsored this legislation … the first words out of his mouth were:
“Look, I’m proud of my pro-life record.”
But it actually gets worse than even that. As ABC reports HERE - upon being asked about his having cosponsored a bill that created a new definition of rape to “forcible rape” … he said:
“Look, I’m proud of my record. I’m proud of my record. Mitt Romney is going to be president and the president sets policy. His policy is exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. I’m comfortable with it because it’s a good step in the right direction.”
Two things to that:
#1 – This guy shouldn’t be proud of his record as it relates to his support of trying to define what constitutes rape and what does not. This guy shouldn’t be proud of his record that would call for women and doctors to be imprisoned should they be guilty of breaking the law by having an abortion because … the law is the law. This guy shouldn’t be proud of his record of legislating bills that would force rape victims to bear the children of their rapists. That’s the record he’s proud of.
#2 – He said that he is comfortable with Romney’s position because having exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother is a STEP in the right direction. You do know what the next step is right? The next step would be to eliminate exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. That is what Paul Ryan’s voting record suggests.
Politifact explains more about the legislation that Ryan co-sponsored and the change of verbiage to include a new term “forcible rape” HERE:
It’s accurate that the two congressmen co-sponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, first in July 2010 and again in January 2011. Both original versions of the bill limited federal funding for abortions to pregnancies resulting from “forcible rape” and certain other circumstances.
The term “forcible” was later removed from the bill, allowing federal funding for abortions in all cases of rape. But when Ryan and Akin originally signed on, the legislation included the phrase “forcible rape.”
Bloomberg reports that Paul Ryan has a long record of sponsoring anti-abortion legislation HERE:
As a U.S. House member from Wisconsin, Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan has co-sponsored 38 anti-abortion measures, including some that make no allowance for rape.
Ryan’s co-sponsorships include bills that would restrict government funding and declare that states have the right to protect life beginning at fertilization.
Among the bills Ryan co-sponsored was a measure that would require a woman seeking an abortion to undergo an ultrasound first. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, he drafted a budget blueprint that sought to end federal dollars for Title X, the national family-planning program.
He also co-sponsored legislation that would have barred abortions after 20 weeks gestation in the District of Columbia, with no exception for cases of rape or incest.
Two bills that he co-sponsored last year would have restricted the definition of rape. The measures sought to prohibit federal funds from being used for abortion, except under certain conditions, with both bills as introduced using the term “forcible rape” as an exception to the funding ban.
Paul Ryan’s position is so extreme that he literally has a more pro-life record than Todd Akin. No – I’m not kidding. The National Right to Life Committee gives Paul Ryan a 100% record vs. Todd Akin who gets a 90%. He has voted and spoken out on record time after time after time against giving exceptions for rape and incest when it comes to abortion. You can see Paul Ryan in his own words back in 2000.
Paul Ryan interviewed with a local station in Pittsburgh, PA … he was asked about the use of the words “forcible rape” in the bill he cosponsored – he simply wouldn’t explain why he would cosponsor a bill that started to differentiate different kinds of rape. His only answer now is “rape is rape” even though that doesn’t explain why he would cosponsor legislation that inferred not all rapes are rape. He will not answer the question that is asked.
More on Paul Ryan’s record and how it dovetails perfectly with the GOP relative to voting to force rape victims to have the children of their rapists HERE.
