Hillary Clinton's Stance on Abortion

Abortion is an important issue to voters of the 2008 Presidential election. Before knowing which candidate to support, Americans need to know where each potential President stands on the issue of abortion. What are Hillary Clinton's thoughts on this touchy issue?

As senator, Hillary Clinton has stressed the importance of protecting Supreme Court decisions on abortion such as Roe v. Wade. Hillary Clinton feels that it is essential to withhold this country's current liberties. A woman's right to choose is one of those essential liberties.

Hillary Clinton is one of the original cosponsors of the Prevention First Act, which increases a woman's access to family planning resources. As First Lady, Hillary Clinton worked to make adoption easier for all parties involved. Foster care support was also Hillary Clinton worked to improve. Clinton strove to improve these alternative options for women in the case of pregnancy, while leaving to final choice up to the mother.

Pro-choice, not pro-abortion. Like her Republican opponent, Rudy Giuliani, Hillary Clinton does not consider herself to be "pro-abortion." Hillary does believe in leaving the decision of whether or not to have an abortion up to the woman.

As Hillary Clinton once explained, "I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is not being pro-abortion. Being pro-choice is trusting the individual to make the right decision for herself and her family, and not entrusting that decision to anyone wearing the authority of government in any regard" (Remarks at NARAL, Washington, DC Jan 22, 1999).

Hillary Clinton, unlike certain other politians in office, do not think the answer to teen sex and abortion is ignoring the problem. Hillary voted "YES" to adopt an amendment to the Senate's 2006 Fiscal Year Budget that would designate $100 million for the prevention of unplanned pregnancies. This legislature would increase access to birth control options, which would decrease the number of abortions in the United States.