{"id":176354,"date":"2018-01-03T16:32:59","date_gmt":"2018-01-03T21:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=176354"},"modified":"2018-01-04T14:12:50","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T19:12:50","slug":"doug-jones-senate-vote-pro-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/doug-jones-senate-vote-pro-life\/","title":{"rendered":"As Doug Jones is sworn into the Senate, here’s why he should vote pro-life"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Alabama’s special election to determine who would replace Jeff Sessions in the U.S. Senate, Democrat Doug Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore. Sessions, a pro-life Republican, is currently serving as Attorney General for the Trump administration.\u00a0Jones served as a United States Attorney until 2001, and continued to practice law before running for Senate. Thus, he has not had much opportunity to develop a record, either pro-life or pro-abortion. However, his statements, as well as his support for Planned Parenthood and NARAL, suggest that those who categorize him as a pro-abortion senator may be correct.<\/p>\n

Alabama\u00a0supports a 20-week abortion ban<\/b><\/p>\n

During a September interview<\/a> with host Chuck Todd on Meet the Press, Jones was asked about<\/a> his position on abortion. He echoed a typical pro-abortion talking point:<\/p>\n

I am a firm believer that a woman should have the freedom to choose what happens to her own body, and I\u2019m going to stand up for that, and I\u2019m going to make sure that that continues to happen. I want to make sure that as we go forward, people have access to contraception, they have access to the abortion that they might need, if that\u2019s what they choose to do.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Even when asked directly by Todd if he would support a 20-week abortion ban, which has since been introduced in the Senate, Jones’ answer was concerning: “No, I\u2019m not in favor of anything that is going to infringe on a woman\u2019s right and her freedom to choose,” he emphasized. “That\u2019s just the position that I\u2019ve had for many years. It\u2019s the position I continue to have.”<\/p>\n

Then, curiously, just one month later, it seems that Jones changed his tune on late-term abortion — or at least attempted to. From a November interview with AL.com<\/a>:<\/p>\n

To be clear, I fully support a woman’s freedom to choose to what happens to her own body. That is an intensely, intensely personal decision that only she, in consultation with her god, her doctor, her partner or family, that’s her choice.<\/p>\n

Having said that, the law for decades has been that late-term procedures are generally restricted except in the case of medical necessity. That’s what I support. I don’t see any changes in that. It is a personal decision.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In addition, mere days before the election, Jones’ campaign released a brief ad<\/a> claiming that Roy Moore’s campaign had mischaracterized Jones’ abortion views with “abortion attacks.” Jones’ campaign ad claimed that “Doug Jones does not support late-term abortions and never has.” ‘Never has’? What about the interview with Chuck Todd?<\/p>\n

Because of Roe v. Wade’s <\/em>companion case of Doe v. Bolton, <\/em>abortion is allowed for all nine months of pregnancy in the United States. A handful of states<\/a> commit abortions up until birth for any or no reason. An abortion carries significant risks for women, including the risk of death<\/a>, and even late-term abortions are frequently committed for similar socioeconomic reasons as those committed earlier in pregnancy.<\/p>\n