Question:
Do you support the women's right to choose concerning the right to have an abortion and should the government protect that right?

Patricia's Answer:
Dear Jim,

Thank you for your question regarding abortion. As I've emphasized along the campaign trail and on my website, I am strongly pro-life and do not support abortion rights. While I was in the legislature, I built a 100% pro-life record and would do the same in Washington.

As we debate health care, one thing I emphasize repeatedly is the importance of individual liberty. Part of that respect means embracing a culture of life so that all may enjoy the pursuit of happiness. As such, I am unwavering in my support for the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death, and believe that respect for life should be a constant theme in all of our nation’s laws and regulations.

As you may know, Dennis Moore is strongly pro-choice and even opposed the Stupak Amendment to the health care bill, which would prohibit funding of abortions in a government funded health plan. Not only that, I have deep concerns that a government health care system, in an effort to limit costs, would encourage rationing and thus threaten the quality of care that those most vulnerable – those at the beginning and ending stages of life – receive.

Any health care system must, by definition, seek to promote life. I’ll take that a step further – our culture as a whole should always respect life, at all its stages – and we should elect leaders to our halls of government that also possess that same core value and will always remember to uphold a culture of life as they meet the significant challenges our nation faces.

I would be one of those leaders. As your Congresswoman, I will be unwavering in my support of the unborn.

Thank you,

Patricia