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Chris Christie on Abortion
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Thousands upon thousands are murdered in the womb
Q: Can you name one thing that the federal government does now that it should not do at all?CHRISTIE: Yes. You want one?
Q: I want one.
CHRISTIE: How about one that I've done in N.J. for the last 6 years? That's get rid of Planned Parenthood
funding from the United States.
Q: Anything bigger than that?
CHRISTIE: Bigger than that? Let me tell you something, when you see thousands upon thousands of children being murdered in the womb, I can't think of anything better than that.
Source: 2016 Fox News Republican two-tiered debate in Iowa
, Jan 28, 2016
FactCheck: Donor to Planned Parenthood in '94, but denies it
Sen. Marco Rubio asserted, " Chris Christie wrote a check to Planned Parenthood," to which Christie responded, "Let's set the facts straight: I never wrote a check to Planned Parenthood." Who's right?We checked for sources from the OnTheIssues website
and found the source of Rubio's assertion: a 2012 book entitled Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power. Christie is quoted from 1994, "I support Planned Parenthood privately with my personal contribution and
that should be the goal of any such agency, to find private donations," when public funding was cut off (p. 49). The book also indicates that Christie was pro-choice until 1996 (p.201-2).
The authors of the book, Bob Ingle and Michael Symons, are both
well-established New Jersey journalists; there seems to be little wiggle-room for Christie in their reporting. Gov. Christie did not explain his denial any further; so we score Rubio as correct, and score Christie as "further explanation needed."
Source: OnTheIssues FactChecking on Fox Business 2016 GOP debate
, Jan 15, 2016
Put defunding of Planned Parenthood on the president's desk
Q: Regarding whether Republicans in Congress should force the issue of defunding Planned Parenthood, to the extent that there would be a government shutdown, you switched your views:[plays clip] Q: would you support a shutdown?
Q: Have you changed your heart on this? Should Republicans force defunding Planned Parenthood by threatening a shutdown?A:
I said that you shouldn't be throwing around threats--you should take action and that's what I have done as governor of New Jersey, to defund Planned Parenthood six years ago. You should put the defunding of Planned Parenthood on the president's desk.
If he's going to veto it, let the American people see that he stands with the folds who believe that the systematic murder of children in the womb, in a way that preserves the body parts to be sold on the open market, is something that he stands for.
Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls
, Sep 20, 2015
I defunded Planned Parenthood in N.J. for 6 years running
CRUZ: Obama says "I will veto any budget that doesn't fund Planned Parenthood," and Republicans surrender.CHRISTIE: We didn't surrender in New Jersey, 6 years ago, as the brand new first ever pro-life governor of NJ since Roe versus Wade, I defunded
Planned Parenthood. And I've vetoed Planned Parenthood funding, now, eight times in NJ. Since the day I walked in as governor, Planned Parenthood has not been funded in NJ. We stood up and every one of those vetoes has been sustained.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN
, Sep 16, 2015
Successfully defunded Planned Parenthood in New Jersey
Q: Would you be willing to shut down the government over the fight over whether or not to defund Planned Parenthood?CHRISTIE: In New Jersey, six years ago, I defunded Planned Parenthood. And I made it stick. We've viewed it 8 different times in
New Jersey, and we've made that veto stick each and every time, despite veto override attempts.
Q: But here you've got a Democratic executive who would veto if Congress were somehow to pass a budget that defunded Planned Parenthood.
CHRISTIE: Maybe we should test the president, because in the end, we haven't done anything yet in Congress to test him. I think we should be putting it on his desk.
I think we should be passing repeal and replacement of ObamaCare and putting it one his desk. Let the United States people see who is the real obstructionist in Washington DC.
Source: Fox News Sunday 2015 coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls
, Aug 30, 2015
Ban abortions after 20 weeks, with exceptions
Self-described as "pro-life," Christie supports a Congressional bill to ban abortions starting 20 weeks after fertility, allowing for exceptions if the pregnancy is caused by rape or incest or if the life of the mother is in danger.
Prior to 1995, the governor described his position as "pro-choice." Christie says he changed position after hearing his daughter's fetal heartbeat.
Source: PBS News Hour "2016 Candidate Stands" series
, Jun 30, 2015
FactCheck: No, Dems allow plenty of pro-life speakers
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was wrong when he claimed in a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference that no "pro-life Democrat" has ever been allowed to speak at a Democratic National Convention. Christie claimed, "They're the party of
intolerance, not us." Christie's claim about anti-abortion Democrats is false.Democratic Sen. Bob Casey Jr.--who began an op-ed last year, "I am a pro-life senator"--delivered a prime time address during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Another featured speaker at the 2008 Convention was Sen. Joe Manchin, who said from the floor of the Senate, "I am pro-life, and proud of it," though he did not raise the issue in his speech at the convention.
Although no elected anti-abortion
Democrat spoke at the most recent Democratic National Convention in 2012, one of the convention speakers was Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of the Roman Catholic social justice organization NETWORK. And she expressed her "pro-life" position.
Source: FactCheck.org on speeches at 2014 CPAC convention
, Mar 7, 2014
GOP tolerates pro-choice views; Dems don't tolerate pro-life
This is what I mean about the media. I got asked a question last year: "Governor, you're very popular in a blue state. How can you export that to the rest of the country given the intolerance on social issues in your party?" And I said, "Well, let me
ask you a question. You say the Republicans are intolerant. Well, I'll just tell you this, at our national convention, we've had people like Tom Ridge and Colin Powell and Condi Rice speak at our national conventions,
even though our party platform and I don't agree with their position on abortion. Tell me, sir, the last pro-life Democrat who was allowed to speak at a Democratic convention?" And I said, "By the way,
don't strain yourself, because there's never been one." They're the party of intolerance, not us.
Source: Speech at 2014 CPAC convention
, Mar 6, 2014
1996: partial birth procedure is reprehensible
1996: partial birth procedure is reprehensible
In July 1996, the freeholder board voted 5-2 for a resolution urging Congress to override President Bill Clinton's April veto of a bill that would have banned most "partial birth" abortions. The item was raised by Christie at a work session. "It offended
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 54
, Jun 5, 2012
1994: Donated to Planned Parenthood; opposed public donation
1994: Donated to Planned Parenthood; opposed public donation
During the general election campaign, when Democratic candidates called for the county to restore its former annual $35,000 contribution to Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern NJ, which was eliminated in 1989 after an abortion controversy,
1994: Donated to Planned Parenthood; opposed public donation
Planned Parenthood privately with my personal contribution and that should be the goal of any such agency, to find private donations," he said. "It's also no secret that
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 49
, Jun 5, 2012
Pro-choice until seeing daughter pre-natally
Pro-choice until seeing daughter pre-natally
In a 2011 interview, Christie said his conversion on the issue had occurred in 1995. It followed a doctor's visit made 6 months before his daughter's birth."I had been pro-choice before that. It was just kind of the default position that I took,"
Pro-choice until seeing daughter pre-natally
And we heard this incredibly strong heartbeat. And I remember we came separately. And I was driving back to work, I said to myself, you know, as to my position on abortion, I would say that a week ago that wasn't a life. And I heard that heartbeat.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p. 54
, Jun 5, 2012
1996: Switched from pro-choice to pro-life
In January 2011, Christie--who'd been pro-choice until 1996, but he says changed his mind after hearing his daughter's heartbeat during a prenatal visit when Mary Pat was 13 weeks pregnant with their 2nd child, Sarah--became the
first NJ governor to address abortion rights opponents at their annual protest at the State House to mark the anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. "What we need to do each and every day is to live our lives in a way that encourages everyone to
understand why this cause is so important," Christie said. "To show that we respect the life of every human being, and that every human being is one of God's creatures and deserves the love and respect that God gives to all of us."
His critics said Christie was pandering to the right wing of his party with an eye toward garnering their support in a future campaign for national office.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.201-202
, Jun 5, 2012
Eliminate family planning funding from state budget
Christie angered many of the Democratic women in the legislature, but thrilled social conservatives, by eliminating so-called family planning funding from the state budget. The name's a bit of a misnomer; the program provides health care services
such as pap smears and mammograms to women and doesn't fund abortions. But because some of the funds went to Planned Parenthood centers, conservatives say the funding essentially enables such centers to be able to use other revenues to provide a service
they find morally reprehensible. Christie argued that low-income women can access the health services they need at other clinics, primarily Federally Qualified Health Centers, in repeatedly vetoing
Democrats' efforts to provide $7.5 million in family planning funds. Democrats framed the family planning cuts as part of a bigger picture in which Christie has some sort of problem with women.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.205
, Jun 5, 2012
I'm pro-life with exceptions; take it or leave it
Q: Would you sign the abortion pledge going around the Republican field?A: I haven't seen the abortion pledge, I don't know what it says.
Q: Only pro-life people working for you; a promise to back anything that coincides with the life agenda;
defunding public payments for abortion across the board.
A: Here's my position on it. My name's the name on the ballot. I am pro-life, I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. That's my position, take it or leave it.
Source: Interview on NBC "Meet the Press"
, Jun 26, 2011
Life is precious and should be protected
Q: On abortion, quite controversially for a New Jersey governor, you came out strongly against it, a pretty liberal state when you became Governor?
A: I just told people about it right up front. I'm pro-life, I believe in exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, but I do believe that life is precious and should be protected.
Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011
"Default pro-choice" until hearing 13-week fetal heartbeat
Q: You developed your pro-life position firmly when your wife was 13 weeks pregnant?A: I heard a heartbeat. I had been pro-choice before that. I would call myself before that a kind of a non-thinking pro-choice person, kind of the default position.
When my wife was pregnant with our daughter Sarah, who is now fifteen, we happened to go to one of the prenatal visits at 13 weeks. My wife didn't look at all pregnant at that point, visibly, and we heard this incredibly strong heartbeat.
As I was driving back to work I said to myself you know, under my position on abortion I would say that a week ago that wasn't a life. I heard that heartbeat, that's a life. It led to me having a real reflection on my position and when
I took time to reflect on it I just said you know what? I'm not comfortable with that anymore, that was back in 1995, and I've been pro-life ever since.
Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011
Pro-life; the life of every human being is precious
I am pro-life. Hearing the strong heartbeat of my unborn daughter 14 years ago at 13 weeks gestation had a profound effect on me and my beliefs. The life of every human being is precious.
We must work to reduce abortions in New Jersey through laws such as parental notification, a 24-hour waiting period and a ban on partial-birth abortion.
Source: 2009 Gubernatorial campaign website, christiefornj.com
, Jul 21, 2009
Page last updated: Jun 15, 2016