President Obama said Wednesday that he has no “litmus” test on abortion for potential nominees — but considers it “very important” that any nominee protect a woman’s right to make decisions about their bodies and their health.
In response to a reporter’s question before a meeting with Senate leaders on replacing retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, Obama emphasized that he supports a woman’s right to make what he deemed “often very difficult” reproductive decisions.
“Obviously, this has been a hugely contentious issue in our country for a very long time,” he said.
He said he would look for a candidate willing to protect women’s rights and individual rights, but added that candidates would not be required to share his view on abortion in order to be tapped for the nomination. “I will say the same thing that every president has said since this issue came up, which is I don’t have litmus tests around any of these issues,” he said.
Full story: Obama: No ‘litmus’ test on Supreme Court nominee