The issues
Obama vs. Romney: Abortion and contraception
President Barack Obama supports access to abortion. Mitt Romney proposes banning abortion, except in cases of rape or incest. The Obama Administration’s health care plan mandated the coverage of contraception costs, which Romney does not support.
Accusations of a Republican war on women and a Democratic infringement of religious freedom have dominated the campaign rhetoric on abortion and birth control.
The 2012 election fight over abortion centers on Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that an individual’s decision to end a pregnancy is protected by the Constitutional right to privacy.
Before his run for the presidency, Romney supported abortion access, but he now supports reversing Roe v. Wade. That could happen if Romney is elected and gets the opportunity to appoint a conservative to the Supreme Court. Until then, Roe v. Wade should be adhered to as law, said Romney, according to the Washington Post.
Romney supports ending federal aid to Planned Parenthood, one of the largest providers of women’s services, including abortion. Three percent of Planned Parenthood’s activities are dedicated to abortion, according to the organization’s web page.
The controversy over funding does not end at abortion. Contraception received national attention after being integrated into the new health care law.
The Obama Administration’s health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act, requires coverage for contraceptives under workplace health plans.
The Romney campaign criticized the coverage requirement as a threat to religious liberty, and the Roman Catholic Church expressed disapproval of the provision.
In the end, religious institutions were exempted from the requirement to pay for coverage of contraceptives.
--Emily Harmon
Accusations of a Republican war on women and a Democratic infringement of religious freedom have dominated the campaign rhetoric on abortion and birth control.
The 2012 election fight over abortion centers on Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that an individual’s decision to end a pregnancy is protected by the Constitutional right to privacy.
Before his run for the presidency, Romney supported abortion access, but he now supports reversing Roe v. Wade. That could happen if Romney is elected and gets the opportunity to appoint a conservative to the Supreme Court. Until then, Roe v. Wade should be adhered to as law, said Romney, according to the Washington Post.
Romney supports ending federal aid to Planned Parenthood, one of the largest providers of women’s services, including abortion. Three percent of Planned Parenthood’s activities are dedicated to abortion, according to the organization’s web page.
The controversy over funding does not end at abortion. Contraception received national attention after being integrated into the new health care law.
The Obama Administration’s health care legislation, the Affordable Care Act, requires coverage for contraceptives under workplace health plans.
The Romney campaign criticized the coverage requirement as a threat to religious liberty, and the Roman Catholic Church expressed disapproval of the provision.
In the end, religious institutions were exempted from the requirement to pay for coverage of contraceptives.
--Emily Harmon