Democrats made abortion the centerpiece of midterms message, but many won’t explain their own position

Several Democrats have attacked Republicans over their pro-life views, but remain silent when asked if they support abortion up until the point of birth, even after showing support for legislation that would have allowed abortions “without limitations.”

Fox News Digital reached out to 10 Democratic candidates running for senate in this year’s midterm election, asking them if they believed there should be any restrictions on abortion, and if they support abortion up until the moment of birth. Most declined to respond.

A spokesperson for Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto told Fox News Digital that asking about partial-birth abortion is a misleading question because “abortion up to the moment of live birth is not a thing, according to obstetricians.”

A spokesperson for Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania, said “John has been clear that he believes that the Supreme Court and Republicans should have left Roe the hell alone, and the whole point is that these decisions should be between a woman, her doctor, and a God if she prays to one — not politicians. Dr. Oz, on the other hand, said he supports banning abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest. These dangerous views are deeply out of step with the people of Pennsylvania.”

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Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Sen. Maggie Hassan, N.H., Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wa., Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., D-Nev., Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio., Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., D-Penn., Lt. Gov., Mandela Barnes, D-Wis., and North Carolina Senate candidate Cheri Beasley, who all expressed their support for the Women’s Healthcare Protection Act (WHPA) of 2022, did not respond to Fox News Digital.

The WHPA is the pro-abortion legislation introduced by Democrats that would codify Roe and “permit health care providers to provide abortion services without limitations.” Many Republicans have interpreted the legislation as opening the door to late term or even partial birth abortions, since it makes it impossible to place restrictions on abortions in the first two trimesters of a pregnancy, and would make it difficult to restrict abortions after viability.

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The bill stipulated that no government could impose a “prohibition on abortion after fetal viability when, in the good-faith medical judgment of the treating health care provider, continuation of the pregnancy would pose a risk to the pregnant patient’s life or health.”

The bill was passed in the House of Representatives in May, but ultimately failed to pass the Senate.

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The bill defined “viability” as a point in the pregnancy at which, “there is a reasonable likelihood of sustained fetal survival outside the uterus with or without artificial support,” meaning that the bill, and those who cosponsored it, support abortion after “fetal viability,” when the fetus could survive outside the womb.

Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke was recently asked during a press conference if he would allow restrictions on abortion, including and up to partial birth abortion. O’Rourke dodged the question, saying “I trust woman and their doctors.” 

The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, was signed in the law by President George W. Bush, banning the procedure that is defined by Cornell Law School as “an abortion in which the person performing the abortion deliberately and intentionally delivers a living fetus,” with, “the purpose of performing an overt act that the person knows will kill the partially delivered living fetus; and performs the overt act, other than completion of delivery, that kills the partially delivered living fetus; where a fetus is partially delivered.”  The recent legislation cosponsored by the Democrats would have allowed abortion procedures with no limitations, a law that could have reinstated abortion up until the point of birth.

Blake Masters, the Trump endorsed GOP nominee running for Senate in Arizona, released an ad Friday, blasting his Democrat opponent’s views on abortion.

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Abortion has become a rising midterm issue, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June and declared that the Constitution does not confer the right to an abortion.

 “Mark Kelly votes for the most extreme abortion laws in the world. We’re talking no limits, up until birth,” Masters said in his latest ad, also mentioning that, “The only countries that support his no-limits, extreme abortion policies are China and North Korea.”

Kelly has been open about his pro-abortion views, calling the Supreme Court decision, “a giant step backward for our country.”

Washington Senate Candidate Tiffany Smiley also release an ad Thursday, blasting her midterm opponent Sen. Murray for calling her an “extremist,” and mentioning that while she is pro-life, she opposes a federal abortion ban.

“What’s extreme? Thirty years in the Senate and nothing to show for it. Patty Murray wants to scare you; I want to serve you.” Smiley said in the ad.

Abortion was on the ballot in Kansas, where voters in the state shot down the legislation that would have given the state’s elected officials the power to place restrictions on abortion. 

During a rally Thursday, President Biden told the crowd that, “abortion is on the ballot,” and that if Democrats keep the majority this fall, they will “codify Roe.”