Although abortion was legalized in the United States in 1973 when the U.S.Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that during the first trimester a woman has the right to decide what happens to her body, it remains a contested issue in political campaigns. This issue summary documents statements made by Sen. John McCain on the topic of abortion.
Repeal of Roe v Wade
1999: Presidential candidate McCain, on the campaign trail in New Hampshire said: "[In] the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade."2007: In the first Republican candidate debate, Chris Matthews asked: "Would the day that Roe v. Wade is repealed be a good day for Americans?" McCain's reply: "Repeal."
Vitter Amendment - S 1200: Health Care for Indigenous Peoples - 2008
February 2008: Sen David Vitter (R-LA). Amendment to S 1200, the Indigenous Health Bill, did not change current law or practice ("says in Indian health care no taxpayer funds will be used to support abortions" .. . "This amendment will ... put the Hyde amendment in permanent Federal authorization law with regard to the Indian health care act..."). It prohibits funding abortions except (1) if the pregnancy resulted from incest involving a minor or rape or (2) if an abortion is medically necessary to save a pregnant woman's life. Passed (52-42). McCain voted yes.Vitter Amendment - Appropriations Bill - 2007
October 2007: Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) proposed an amendment to HR 3043 (appropriations for Health and Human Services) that would prohibit HHS from providing grants to organizations that perform abortions when a woman's life is not in danger, unless the organization is a hospital. The amendment failed (41-52). McCain voted for the amendment.S3 - Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003
S3 prohibits the procedure commonly known as partial-birth abortion. Passed Senate 64-34. McCain voted yes. Became Public Law No: 108-105.In April 2007, the US Supreme Court upheld the law. See Gonzales v. Carhart (2007): Can Congress Ban "Partial-Birth" Abortions?
In His Words
From his campaign website:- John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned...
- Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states.
- "At its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level."
The Importance Of This Issue In This Election
Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and director of the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University, 16 March 2008:"The next president will nominate several hundred federal judges, probably including two or more Supreme Court justices... Few elections in our lifetime have been as consequential for the pro-life cause as this year's is likely to be. The next president will likely determine the course of the Supreme Court for decades to come, and will make the difference between continuing the progress made by the pro-life movement in the past three decades or reversing course and reinforcing a culture of abortion and embryo destruction that rejects fundamental human equality."